EV battery pioneer Britishvolt is powering ahead with plans to build its first full-scale Gigaplant in Northumberland having received an in principle offer of funding by the UK Government through its Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF).
The Government’s support has enabled a long-term partnership with logistics real estate investor Tritax and global investment firm abrdn that will deliver £1.7bn in private funding.
The project will create up to 3,000 direct high-skilled jobs and a further 5,000+ indirect jobs in associated supply chains.
Located on the former Blyth Power Station in Cambois, Northumberland, the site will build enough low carbon battery cells each year for over 300,000 EV battery packs.
Electric vehicle sales continue to grow in the UK with drivers buying more EVs in 2021 than in the previous five years combined.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Britishvolt’s plan to build a new Gigafactory in Northumberland is a strong testament to the skilled workers of the North East and the UK’s place at the helm of the global green industrial revolution.”
Mr Johnson added: “Backed by government and private sector investment, this new battery factory will boost the production of electric vehicles in the UK, whilst levelling up opportunity and bringing thousands of new highly-skilled jobs to communities in our industrial heartlands.”
The ATF is a funding programme designed to create a sustainable, zero emissions automotive supply chain in the UK and will help deliver the Government’s 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution.
“This announcement is a major step in putting the UK at the forefront of the global energy transition,” said Peter Rolton, Britishvolt’s executive chairman.
“The news is the first step in creating a commercialised battery ecosystem, that perfectly aligns with the existing R&D ecosystem.”
“Britishvolt will be the anchor for attracting further sections of the supply chain, be it refining or recycling, to co-locate on the Britishvolt site. This not only shortens supply chains but also allows for partners to access the abundance of renewable energy on site to truly power low carbon, sustainable battery production.”
The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), which is delivering the Government’s ATF, projects that by 2030, the UK will need more than 90GWh per annum of batteries for cars and light commercials alone.
This Gigaplant, work on which began on September 6th, 2021, and is being built in phases to keep up with technological advancements, will have a total capacity of more than 30GWh by the end of the decade.
Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “In this global race between countries to secure vital battery production, this Government is proud to make the investment necessary to ensure the UK retains its place as one of the best locations in the world for auto manufacturing.”