Amerikansk selskap vil kjøre Morrows konkursbo

In May, battery manufacturer Morrow Batteries in Arendal entered bankruptcy proceedings, with debts totaling 2.2 billion kroner. Since then, an intention agreement has been reached between the liquidators, Innovasjon Norge and Lyten, as reported by Fædrelandsvennen. The Norwegian state is the largest creditor, having provided one billion kroner through Innovasjon Norge.

According to a press release, "The liquidators of Morrow Batteries ASA, Morrow Technologies AS, and Morrow Industrialization Center AS have entered into an intention agreement (MoU) with Lyten, Inc. and Innovasjon Norge regarding a proposed sale of Morrow's business that continues operations (going concern)." The American company Lyten has previously acquired the Swedish battery factory Northvolt.

Local resident Lars Christian Bohne has been working on the bidding process throughout the summer. He expressed satisfaction with the progress but emphasized that the goal is not yet achieved and that more work is needed to secure a final resolution, according to Fædrelandsvennen. Bohne noted that several parties, including major industrial actors and purchase companies, were interested in the deal.

The bankruptcy struck Morrow only two years after the Støre administration opened a battery factory in Arendal in August 2024. In December of the same year, it was revealed that the company had received a combined 1.5 billion in loans from state financing programs. Inger Brokka de Ruiter, the mayor of Arendal (SV), welcomed the intention agreement with Lyten as good news.

She expressed relief that the alternative of closing down the plant would have left very bleak prospects for the region, according to a statement.