[CALB's Battery Factory in Portugal Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony, Expected to Be Fully Operational by 2028] The Portuguese Ministry of Economy issued a statement on February 24, stating that Minister of Economy António Costa Silva attended the groundbreaking ceremony of CALB's lithium battery factory in Sines on the same day. According to the introduction, the project has been granted the status of "Project of National Interest" (PIN) by the Portuguese government, with an investment of approximately 2 billion euros. Construction is expected to begin within the year, and the factory is expected to be fully operational by 2028, directly creating 1,800 jobs. Once operational, the factory is expected to have an ESS capacity of 15 GWh.