Emma Nehrenheim joins InnoEnergy as Managing Director of the European Battery Alliance

With her combined expertise in industry and sustainability, Nehrenheim will lead the industrial stream of EBA in strengthening Europe’s battery value chain and advancing efforts to build industrial capacity and long-term resilience.  

The timing of her new role is significant, with Europe’s battery industry facing growing global competition from Asia, who have built massive scale over the past decade. With limited access to other markets such as the US and lower-than-expected demand in their domestic markets, surplus supply is increasingly being directed toward the European market.  

Emma Nehrenheim joins InnoEnergy with more than two decades of experience in environmental engineering and battery manufacturing. Most recently, she was Chief Environmental Officer and President of Northvolt Materials, gaining first-hand experience in growing battery production, navigating complex industrial ecosystems, and advancing sustainable innovation in Europe’s battery sector. She has also contributed to the development of the EU’s Battery Regulation, a framework which is widely regarded as the most ambitious framework in terms of sustainability, recyclability, and traceability. Earlier in her career, she held a professorship in environmental engineering and led research on industrial waste and water treatment. 

Diego Pavía, CEO of InnoEnergy says: “Europe’s battery value chain, from raw materials to recycling, is a “must have” if the continent is to remain a competitive player in mobility in the short, medium, and long term. The automotive sector, both directly and indirectly, represents 7% of Europe’s GDP and 13 million jobs. The next 4–5 years will be critical, as Europe aims to raise this to 8%, unlocking an additional €300 billion in annual GDP and creating one million new jobs by 2030 across the entire value chain. This is what is at stake. We are thrilled to welcome Emma who brings many lessons learnt, the do’s and don’ts of scaling up this industry. With Emma leading this ambition alongside the InnoEnergy team and the EBA ecosystem, I believe we have what it takes to emerge as winners in this global challenge.” 
 
Emma Nehrenheim adds: “When we started Northvolt, Asia had already established a significant lead in battery manufacturing and development. With the support of the European Battery Alliance and InnoEnergy, we took on the challenge of building a battery industry rooted in Europe. The transition is going to happen. The real question is whether Europe will secure a meaningful share of it. Our mission isn’t just to build a battery industry, but to make it European, shaped by our standards, driven by our innovation, and powered by our industrial strength. I am here to be part of that and to do what I can to support the continued growth and success of EBA and its member companies.” 

Thore Sekkenes, who has successfully led the industrial stream of the EBA for the past six years, remains a key member of the team. Under his leadership, the EBA played a central role in shaping Europe’s battery ecosystem, which now includes over 800 companies across the entire value chain. Thore will continue to support the initiative under new leadership, ensuring continuity and leveraging his knowledge and expertise. 

Since 2017, InnoEnergy has been mandated by the European Commission to lead the industrial stream of the European Battery Alliance and remains focused on building a complete and competitive value chain within Europe. InnoEnergy has made over 50 investments across the battery value chain and throughout the continent, covering everything from sourcing materials and manufacturing batteries to recycling and end-use applications such as energy storage systems (ESS) and last-mile delivery. In addition, to help meet the growing need for skilled workers in the battery sector, its Skills Institute has trained over 100,000 people to date.