Britishvolt, UK EV battery cell technology company, has moved one step closer to building the country’s first full-scale lithium-ion gigaplant after planning was approved on 06 July.
Work on the Northumberland plant could begin as early as the end of the summer, with tier one partner ISG as the lead contractor.
According to Britishvolt, the £2.6bn investment is one of the biggest in the country’s manufacturing history and will bring with it around 3,000 direct highly skilled jobs and upwards of 5,000 in the associated supply chains.
Peter Rolton, Britishvolt Chairman, said: “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, as well as a world-class environmental, social and governance framework. At our very heart is doing the right thing. This project is the right thing for UK plc, and its people, on the roadmap to a low carbon, sustainable future.”
The project will be built in three phases each producing 10GWh, with a total capacity of 30GWh by 2027 onwards.Once at full capacity, the gigaplant will have a production capability equating to approximately enough cells for around 300,000 EV battery packs per year, intended primarily for the automotive industry.
Graham Hoare, Britishvolt president of operations, added: “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. This is the starting gun for hugely ambitious plans to put the UK at the very heart of the energy transition.”
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