Stellantis closed the Douvrin plant on October 30, ending 57 years of activity and a production history that totaled around 52 million engines. The nearby ACC battery factory has taken in some former employees, but the shift to electric mobility has divided trade unions over how the company handled jobs and the transfer of industrial activities.
Stellantis ends 57 years of engine production at Douvrin
According to reports in the French press, 348 employees from Française de Mécanique have joined ACC, the company backed by Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and TotalEnergies. The battery plant, which opened in 2023, requires different skills from those developed in traditional mechanical workshops, making training courses and selection procedures necessary for workers moving into new roles.
Stellantis says it has identified a path for every employee affected by the closure. Options include transfers to Hordain or Valenciennes, employment with other companies and negotiated departures for workers approaching retirement. The redeployment process has therefore followed several routes, with only some employees moving into battery production in the same area.
The CGT disputes this approach, accusing the group of shifting some activities elsewhere and presenting the restructuring as a consequence of the energy transition even though relocation also played a role. FO instead highlights the protections secured through negotiations, while acknowledging how difficult it is for workers to leave a factory where many spent decades of their careers.
During the final weeks, employees focused on producing components for other Stellantis plants after engine assembly had already ended during the summer. Those remaining operations also stopped on October 30, completing the gradual reduction in activity that preceded the closure.
Peugeot and Renault founded Française de Mécanique in 1969, creating a new industrial outlet for the former mining area of Pas-de-Calais. At its peak, the plant employed nearly 6,800 people and played a major role in the local economy as well as in supplying engines to the automotive industry.
One of the most important engine families in its history was the TU series, which exceeded 15.6 million units. That figure represents almost one-third of all engines produced at Douvrin over the plant’s entire lifespan.