Britishvolt, a UK-based battery manufacturer, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Welsh Government, for the development of a battery manufacturing plant with a capacity of 30GWh.
The lithium-ion battery manufacturing site, along with a supplementary 200MW plant, will be located at the former RAF base at Bro Tathan, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.
The site is claimed to have been chosen, after six months of analysis, due to several factors such as import/export accessibility, labour availability and skilled staff along with convenient geographical proximity to customers and local companies.
The two parties have now signed the MoU to build a potential full cycle battery cell plant, subject to UK government funding through the Automotive Transformation Fund, to produce lithium ion cylindrical and pouch cells primarily servicing the automotive market.
Britishvolt to invest about £1.2bn initially
Britishvolt CEO and founder Orral Nadjari said: “We are immensely proud to announce plans to work exclusively with the Welsh Government to develop the UK’s landmark battery gigaplant. Wales has welcomed us with open arms and exceptional due diligence and we believe the country has a vast untapped potential.
“Hiring local people, including those currently out of work, and developing strong relationships with nearby educational facilities will be a priority for us to ensure a stream of skilled staff.
“Britishvolt will also encourage other businesses to invest in the region with the aim of creating a ‘hub’ of battery electrification – building out our very own infrastructure and supply chain ecosystem, which will create thousands more jobs.”
The partnership is expected to result in enabling the scalable production of a portfolio of lithium ion batteries, creating and expanding an onshore manufacturing ecosystem.
Last month, Britishvolt selected Wales as the preferred location to build its battery gigafactory. Initially, the battery-maker anticipates to invest about £1.2bn, creating up to 3,500 jobs. Construction is scheduled to begin early next year.
