Government commits £100m funding to Northumberland battery 'gigafactory'
Fri 21 January 2022
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The Government has committed 'in principle' funding to support the construction of a Britishvolt-owned plant in Northumberland with capacity to produce enough batteries for over 300,000 EVs.
Britishvolt had announced plans for the so-called gigafactory in Cambois around two years ago, saying it would create 3,000 jobs. According to the BBC, the Government has committed about £100m through its Automotive Transformation Fund.
Kwasi Kwarteng Business Secretary, said: "Britishvolt’s planned gigafactory will not only enable the UK to fully capture the benefits of a booming electric vehicle market, but will bring thousands of highly-skilled, well-paid jobs to the North East.
"In this global race between countries to secure vital battery production, this Government is proud to make the investment necessary to ensure UK’s retains its place as one of the best locations in the world for auto manufacturing."
The BBC reports that experts say the Britishvolt plant will have to be the first of many if the futrure of the UK car industry is to be secured. Without local battery production, car makers may not choose to make cars here.
It reports that the Government has set aside more than £800m to attract battery investment to the UK.
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