Manufacturer Britishvolt has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Welsh government to work on plans to develop a commercially viable 30GWh battery manufacturing factory and 200MW solar farm at a former RAF base at Vale of Glamorgan.
The MoU commits the two parties to collaborate towards building the UK’s first full cycle battery cell gigaplant, subject to UK government funding through the Automotive Transformation Fund, to produce lithium ion cylindrical and pouch cells primarily servicing the automotive market.
The solar farm would provide near carbon neutral electricity input to the factory as well as the local area.
The company said if the plans were successful they could enable the scalable production of a world-class portfolio of lithium ion batteries, creating and expanding an onshore manufacturing ecosystem and supply chain to support the country’s transition to electrification.
The company said the site at Bro Tathan in South Wales had been was narrowed down from over 40 locations, due to factors including: import/export accessibility, availability of labour and skilled staff, and convenient geographical proximity to customers and local industrial companies.
It is anticipated that the initial £1.2 billion of investment from the company could eventually lead towards up to 3,500 jobs. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2021.
Britishvolt chief executive and founder Orral Nadjari said: “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.”
“In the absence of any onshore battery production, 114,000 direct British automotive jobs are predicted to be lost by 2040, and we want to ensure that this doesn’t happen.”