STOCKHOLM, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Swedish battery maker

Northvolt plans to lay off 1,600 employees in Sweden, including

1,000 positions at its Northvolt Ett factory in Skelleftea in

the north of the country, the cash-strapped company said on

Monday.

The group said it would suspend plans for a large expansion

of Northvolt Ett and will now focus its resources on

accelerating production of battery cells at the plant,

prioritising commitments to its current automotive customers.

Northvolt had over 5,800 employees at the end of 2023

according to its annual report for 2023.

The company said on Monday it will focus on the ramping

up of the first 16 GWh annual battery cell production capacity

at Northvolt Ett while shelving a construction project that had

aimed at increasing its capacity by another 30 GWh.