Britishvolt has announced that it has been granted planning permission to construct its first full-scale lithium-ion Gigaplant facility in Northumberland.
As WhichEV reported, the Gigaplant will be built in the 235-acre (95 hectare) Blyth Power Station site. When at full capacity in 2027 the site will be the fourth largest building in Europe and produce enough cells for up to 300,000 vehicles per year.
The development is a major boost for the area and the whole country as it will bring around 3,000 direct highly skilled jobs and another 5,000+ in the associated supply chains.
The announcement is considered a major victory for all the parties involved as Britishvolt will be able to reach its ambitious goals and the country will truly benefit from having a Gigaplant, according to Peter Rolton, Britishvolt Chairman.
“This is a huge win, not only for Britishvolt, but also the people of Northumberland. The Gigaplant will bring with it much need employment, totally regenerating the area,” he said. “Britishvolt has a strong social values agenda, as well as a world-class Environmental, Social and Governance framework.”
The project will be built in three phases each of 10GWh to a total capacity of 30GWh by the end of 2027 onwards. It will be the first Gigaplant in the UK, with a production capacity more than three times that of other recently announced schemes, all of which are only at early stages of design and planning.
Planning Approved ✅
“This is a huge win, not only for Britishvolt, but also the people of #Northumberland. The Gigaplant will bring with it much need #employment, totally regenerating the area. Britishvolt has a strong social values agenda” – Peter Rolton, UK CEO pic.twitter.com/RMQGi54YvP
— Britishvolt (@BritishvoltUK) July 6, 2021
Britishvolt is on target to manufacture some of the world’s most sustainable, low carbon battery cells, according to Graham Hoare, Britishvolt President of Operations.
“This is a truly monumental moment for the UK, as we move towards a low carbon society. We are clearly at a tipping point on the roadmap to electrification, and the UK government has signalled that it wants UK plc at the vanguard of the next industrial revolution,” he said. “This is the starting gun for hugely ambitious plans to put the UK at the very heart of the energy transition.”
Meanwhile, as WhichEV reported Britishvolt has also announced the intention to site its new global headquarters in the West Midlands.