Tata Confirms Somerset to Be The Host of Its £4bn Battery Factory
The UK’s biggest electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility’s future site has been confirmed to be Somerset. Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata stated that the company will invest £4bn in a brownfield site near Bridgwater in Somerset. Though the government announced before that the flagship battery factory will be built in the country, this is the first official statement on the matter, along with the confirmation of the factory site. This new battery factory is set to create around 4,000 jobs along with approximately thousands more in the supply chain. Tata confirmed that the battery production on the Somerset site will begin in 2026.
Tata Group’s global battery business – Agratas has confirmed today at Gravity Smart Campus in Puriton. that it will build the battery factory. This will be the first factory of the business outside India. The site in Somerset was a Royal Ordnance Factory from World War II until its decommission in 2008. Agratas will also be the first occupier of the land, taking almost 50% of the factory site. It is said that by the early 2030’s, the site will contribute almost half of the projected battery manufacturing capacity that is required in the country’s automotive sector. The factory is set to produce 40GWh of battery cells in a year which is enough to supply for almost 500,000 passenger vehicles.
The chief executive of the Somerset Chamber of Commerce, Emma Rawlings said that the development is expected to bring opportunities to the area and locality. “This puts Somerset, its businesses, and its workforce at the heart of the green revolution to switch to electric vehicles,” she commented. “Somerset businesses are already familiar with the Hinkley Point C supply chain so are well placed to provide expertise for the gigafactory,” Rawlings continued. This new gigafactory of batteries will be located at just 15.3 miles (24km) from the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. It will make batteries for Jaguar Land Rover vehicles like Range Rover, the Defender, and the Jaguar brands initially and will be one of the biggest in Europe. However, the plan is to supply other car manufacturers as well while producing commercial energy storage.
CEO of Agratas, Tom Flack said, “We care deeply about the communities we operate in, so it’s imperative to us that we work with, and listen to, our new neighbours as we build our factory in Somerset.” The company has already set up a Whatsapp channel, especially for local people and residents in the thousands who are due to receive a leaflet in the post this week from the company.
The official news of increasing jobs and site confirmation has also reached Somerset and people have been nothing but welcoming. The Chairman of Gravity, Martin Bellamy said, “It’s impossible to overstate how important this is for the UK. It is the catalyst to kick-start the electric vehicle revolution in the UK.” On the other hand, the Principal of Bridgwater and Taunton College, Andy Berry claimed that he was delighted with the confirmation.
Glenda Bozeman – Business and Services
Glenda Bozeman writes Business articles for industries that want to see their Google search rankings surge. Her articles have appeared in a number of sites. Her articles focus on enlightening with informative Services sector needs. She holds the degree of Masters in Business and Marketing. Before she started writing, she experimented with various professions: computer programming, assistant marker, and others. But her favorite job is writing that she is now doing full-time.
