Britishvolt has announced that it has entered into a long-term strategic partnership for the supply of responsibly sourced cobalt with Glencore.
The news represents a major milestone for Britishvolt’s quest to assist vehicle OEMs on their roadmap to electrification.
By securing one of the key battery ingredients from the Glencore cobalt brands, Britishvolt is significantly minimizing its operation risks by obtaining long-term security of supply across its business, according to Orral Nadjari, Britishvolt CEO/Founder.
“This is a huge step in the right direction for Britishvolt as we look to accelerate the transition to a low carbon society. By partnering with Glencore, we are locking in supply and derisking the project,” he said. “Cobalt is a key ingredient in electric vehicle batteries and knowing that we are being supplied with responsibly produced cobalt is a signal to the market that we are living by our values.”
Britishvolt is now on target to manufacture some of the world’s most sustainable, low carbon battery cells on the site of the former Blyth Power Station coal stocking yard located in Cambois, Northumberland.
The development will be a major economic boom for Northumberland, 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 project will be built in three phases each of 10GWh to a total capacity of 30GWh by the end of 2027 onwards. This allows the business to keep on top of any technological advancements.
Once at full capacity, the Gigaplant will have a production capability equating to approximately enough cells for around 300,000 electric vehicle battery packs per year, intended primarily for the automotive industry.
Britishvolt has also announced the intention to site its new global headquarters in the West Midlands at the MIRA Technology Park Campus near Coventry by 2022.