Northumberland – EV battery pioneer, Britishvolt, the UK’s foremost investor in battery cell technologies and associated R&D to develop homegrown intellectual property, is moving forward with its historic plans for its first full-scale electric vehicle Gigaplant in Northumberland. The company is delighted that the project is receiving support from the Government through its Automotive Transformation Fund, delivered by the Advanced Propulsion Center.
At the same time, BV announce that Tritax and abrdn are becoming its partner to fund the build of the project, shell and core, as well as to develop the associated supplier park. Tritax is the leading investor in UK and European logistics real estate and is joining BV in partnership with abrdn’s global real assets and investment capabilities.
The ATF is a funding program with the aim of creating a sustainable, zero-emission automotive supply chain in the UK. The fund is an important mechanism to deliver the UK
Government’s 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution and its recent Transport Decarbonisation Plan.
Over the next few weeks, BV will make a series of follow-up announcements including customer MoUs and R&D collaborations, relationships with blue-chip UK automotive sports car brands, and technology releases.
From Peter Rolton, Britishvolt Executive Chairman
“This announcement is a major step in putting the UK at the forefront of the global energy transition, unlocking huge private sector investment that will develop the technology and skills required for Britain to play its part in the next industrial revolution.
The news is the first step in creating a commercialized 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.
It will also allow us to catapult our unique tailormade business proposition on a global scale, with sites already selected for development in other countries.
I’m especially proud that this is such a major boost for Northumberland – the county of my birth – bringing around 3,000 direct highly-skilled jobs and another 5,000+ indirect wider supply chain roles into the region.
This is a truly historic day and marks the start of a truly exciting move towards a low-carbon future. One with Britishvolt batteries at the very center of that strategy.”
Background
Britishvolt is on target to responsibly manufacture some of the world’s most sustainable, low carbon battery cells on the site of the former Blyth Power Station in Cambois, Northumberland. The development is a major boost for both Northumberland and Britain creating around 3,000 direct highly-skilled jobs and another 5,000+ in the associated supply chains.
Advanced works started September 6, 2021, following a unanimous planning decision approval earlier in the year. The project will be built in phases, to keep up with technology advancements, and will have a total capacity of over 30GWh by the end of the decade.
At full capacity, the Gigaplant will produce enough battery cells for over 300,000 electric vehicle battery packs per year, intended primarily for the automotive industry.
Britishvolt believes that locally produced, low carbon, sustainable, responsibly manufactured battery cells can literally help save the planet. The time has come to transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable, low-carbon electricity.
