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Greenpower Park urges the next UK Government to act swiftly to attract global battery manufacturers and support the domestic battery industry. Key highlights include the necessity of securing battery cell supply, the UK’s unique skills and capacity for growth, and the potential economic benefits of increased investment.
Key Highlights:
- Urgent action needed to attract global battery manufacturers to the UK.
- Vital for UK competitiveness and economic success to secure battery cell supply.
- Demand extends beyond automotive, including electricity storage, residential, and broader emobility sectors.
- UK’s specialist skills require investment to be fully harnessed.
Greenpower Park, the UK’s Centre of Electrification and Clean Energy, has called on the next UK Government to accelerate domestic battery production to attract global manufacturers and their supply chains to the UK. The urgency of securing a reliable battery cell supply is compared to the historical importance of securing steel in the 1940s and 50s. The UK’s lag behind other countries, such as the US, France, and Spain, in attracting investors is a significant concern.
Richard Moore, Greenpower Park’s Battery Strategy Expert, emphasizes the need for prompt action: “This is not the first time the UK has faced a resource crisis. We ramped up steel supply in the 1940s and 50s to build and replace military and civil equipment and can draw a parallel from this with battery cell demands today. And if we act now, we can still resolve the crisis.”
The UK currently has only one operational gigafactory, AESC, producing up to 6 GWh annually. However, according to The Faraday Institution’s 2022 report, the automotive industry alone will need 100 GWh per annum by 2030, doubling to 200 GWh by 2040. The demand for batteries spans beyond automotive needs, extending to electricity storage, domestic residential, and broader emobility sectors such as marine and aviation.
Coventry City Council’s Cllr Jim O’Boyle highlights the progress made by the current government but stresses the need for further action: “The current Government has made some progress, but we need the next Government to go even further to accelerate the UK’s growing battery sector. From automotive to energy storage, there is an urgent need to secure global battery manufacturers along with the associated supply chain to meet the growing demand for electrification in the UK.”
Greenpower Park is strategically located in the electrification skills capital of the UK, adjacent to the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, and within an extensive network of over 315 educational institutions. The West Midlands region, becoming the hub for cell and battery R&D, has access to 800,000 highly-skilled individuals and a pipeline of 210,000 students studying relevant degrees.
The site, positioned on the border of Coventry and Warwickshire, is the only one in the UK within an investment zone offering significant tax incentives. It has planning permission for a large-scale battery manufacturing facility and confirmed interest from global manufacturers.
Greenpower Park offers tax incentives and breaks for investors for up to 10 years, including stamp duty, land tax relief, business rate relief, and national insurance contributions for new jobs. Additionally, support for developing the supply chain, skills, innovation, and R&D for electrification and clean energy is available.
As a pioneering center of excellence for battery technology, the Coventry site is well-placed to drive the UK’s electrification revolution. The UK Centre of Electrification and Clean Energy, including the West Midlands Gigafactory, is set to bolster the region’s high-value skills and research capabilities as part of the UK Government’s West Midlands Investment Zone.
About Greenpower Park: Located at the heart of the UK’s manufacturing industry, Greenpower Park is a leading center for electrification, battery technology, and manufacturing. With the West Midlands Gigafactory as its anchor tenant, it boasts access to the most skilled workforce in the country. The site offers a comprehensive solution for battery research, industrialization, manufacturing, testing, recycling, and electrified logistics. Situated within the West Midlands Investment Zone, it provides significant tax incentives for investors and has planning permission for a Gigafactory. Greenpower Park operates as a public-private joint venture supported by an alliance of local governments, industrial groups, and academic institutions.
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