UK-based battery technologies investor Britishvolt has chosen North East site for the construction of a £2.6bn battery Gigafactory in the UK.
The company has secured all the exclusive rights to the Blyth, Northumberland site and is planning to commence construction next year.
The battery gigafactory, claimed to be the first battery facility in the UK, will be constructed on a 95-hectare site, formerly the site of the Blyth Power Station.
The new facility is estimated to have the capacity to produce more than 300,000 lithium-ion batteries for the UK automotive industry.
It is expected to employ nearly 3,000 people while the final phase of the project in 2027 and will further employ round 5,000 people in the wider supply chain.
The lithium-ion battery factory will also use hydroelectric power generated in Norway. The power is expected to be delivered 719.3km under the North Sea through the world’s longest inter-connector from the North Sea Link project.
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By GlobalDataBritishvolt said that the project is claimed to be the largest industrial investment in the North East since Nissan’s arrival in 1984.
The construction of the new factory is said to be one of the key pillars of the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson’s, ten-point plan for the UK’s green recovery. It is also expected to contribute for the country’s target to achieve a Net Zero economy by 2050.
Britishvolt CEO Orral Nadjari said: “We are delighted to have secured this site in Blyth. This is a tremendous moment both for Britishvolt and UK industry.
“Now we can really start the hard work and begin producing lithium-ion batteries for future electrified vehicles in just three years.
“It is crucial for the UK automotive industry and for the entire economy that we are able to power the future. The sooner we start, the better.”
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Britishvolt Gigafactory – Blyth. (Credit: Britishvolt/ PR Newswire.)