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The West Midlands Gigafactory joint venture has confirmed that it is in advanced discussions with several leading Asian battery manufacturers about future investment at the Coventry site.
The West Midlands Gigafactory’s Coventry location is the only available site in the UK with planning permission in place for a large-scale battery production facility with capacity for up to 60GWh per annum – enough to power 600,000 electric vehicles. It is perfectly placed as a pioneering centre of excellence for battery technology and manufacturing, located at the heart of the UK’s manufacturing industry.
The ground-breaking location is the first of its kind in the UK is offering an all-in-one solution for battery research, industrialisation, manufacturing, testing, recycling and electrified logistics designed to foster the UK’s growing battery ecosystem.
Speaking at the Labour Party Conference on Monday, Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council , said, “The West Midlands Gigafactory site in Coventry is a prime location offering future investors an all-in-one solution for battery manufacturing, research, industrialisation and recycling. In addition, we are well-positioned to become an Investment Zone, which will deliver significant additional tax incentives and breaks for future investors.
I’m pleased to report that we are now in advanced discussions with leading Asian battery manufacturers who want to develop a presence in the UK. We hope, with the support of the UK Government, that we will secure an investor and further strengthen our region’s leadership credentials in the shift towards electrification.”
The site is perfectly located at the heart of the UK’s manufacturing industry in the West Midlands with access to world-class skills, talent and supply chain capabilities in the region. It benefits from a strong transport infrastructure for the future Gigafactory’s logistics requirements, supply chain and access for up to 6,000 employees.
As the electrification revolution represents the largest shift in industrial skills for the UK in a generation, the West Midlands Gigafactory is ideally placed to be a catalyst to strengthen the region’s high value skills and research credentials as part of the UK Government’s West Midlands Investment Zone.
In recognition of the strategic importance of this project, an unprecedented regional incentives package will be available to the eventual occupier. This is expected to create favourable conditions for local taxation and access to clean, sustainable power that a world-class battery facility requires.
West Midlands Gigafactory
West Midlands Gigafactory’s mission is to create the UK’s largest battery Gigafactory in the heart of the UK automotive industry. A battery Gigafactory is a strategically crucial investment for the region and the UK. It will play a major role in securing the future of the automotive industry.
The goal is to help drive the world’s transition to sustainable energy through electric vehicles by supplying advanced lithium-ion batteries. At full capacity, the Gigafactory will be able to produce up to 60GWh – enough to power 600,000 electric vehicles per year.
It will be one of the largest industrial facilities of any kind in the UK. The project will inject a £2.5bn investment into the region and create up to 6,000 new highly skilled jobs directly and thousands more in the supply chain.
West Midlands Gigafactory is a public private joint venture partnership between Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport Ltd. It has support from a unique alliance of West Midlands industrial groups, local government, and academic institutions. This alliance includes the West Midlands Combined Authority, Warwick District Council, Warwickshire County Council, Rugby Council, Warwick Manufacturing Group at University of Warwick, Coventry University, and the Manufacturing Technology Centre.
