Chinese EV Battery Makers Invest Billions in Morocco’s Automotive Sector

The Chinese giant Sentury Tire was the first to announce a project to build a tire manufacturing plant for passenger and light commercial vehicles in Morocco. This was in January 2023. The plant will be built on an area of 20 hectares and will require an investment of $490 million (about 4.74 billion dirhams), according to La Razón. It is expected to be operational this September and produce 12 million tires per year, according to the Chinese manufacturer. The majority of this production will be exported to the United States.

The Chinese group BTR New Material Group, one of the world leaders in the manufacture of battery components for electric vehicles, has also chosen to set up in Tanger Tech. On March 29, the multinational signed an investment agreement of 3 billion dirhams with the Moroccan government for the construction of a cathode production plant. The plant is expected to start operations in September 2026, with an initial production capacity of 25,000 tons per year, which should reach 50,000 tons per year in the following years.

The Chinese giant announced on August 13 the construction of a second plant in Tanger Tech for an investment of more than $363 million (about 3.5 billion dirhams). This one will be dedicated to the production of anode materials for lithium-ion batteries and should have an annual production capacity of 60,000 tons. Its commissioning is scheduled for 2026. Similarly, the Chinese companies Hailang and Shinzoom, leaders in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles, had announced on May 14 their intention to invest $910 million (about 8.79 billion dirhams) to set up in Morocco.

Hailang, active in the production of copper parts for automobiles, should build its 30-hectare plant in Tanger Tech this year for $450 million (about 4.35 billion dirhams). As for Shinzoom, specialized in the production of anodes for lithium-ion batteries, its plant on a 20-hectare site should require an investment of $460 million (about 4,440 million dirhams). The start-up of these two plants should generate nearly 4,000 jobs.