AESC, a global battery technology company, began operations Monday at its new electric vehicle battery gigafactory in Douai, northern France, in a ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron.

The factory is expected to produce batteries for up to 200,000 electric vehicles annually, including for the Renault R5, currently France's top-selling EV. The facility is part of France's broader strategy to accelerate its transition to low-carbon transportation and boost domestic industrial capacity.

Macron praised the project as a key part of the government's “Choose France” initiative, which aims to attract international investment and support reindustrialization. He described the plant as combining innovation, economic development and sustainability.

“This factory will change the region—and it will change lives,” Macron said during the event. Symbolically, he held a traditional oil lamp in one hand and a battery cell in the other, highlighting the shift from fossil fuels to clean energy.'

Macron later posted on social media that the gigafactory demonstrated that France could balance economic growth with environmental responsibility. “Some said building batteries in France was impossible. AESC’s Douai factory proves them wrong,” he wrote.

Lei Zhang, chairman of AESC, said the Douai plant’s launch marks a milestone in Europe’s electrification push. “We are using Chinese clean energy technology to support a more sustainable and prosperous future,” he said.

The plant is among several gigafactory projects under development in Europe as countries work to localize battery production and reduce reliance on imports.