Britishvolt, the UK battery company, has received an in principle
offer of government funding though the Automotive Transformation
Fund (ATF) for its planned gigafactory in Blyth, Northumberland.
Once complete, the factory will produce enough batteries for over
300,000 electric vehicles each year, significantly supporting the
UK automotive industry’s transition to a zero emissions future
and increased production of electric vehicles.
The government’s support for the gigafactory will help to unlock
a significant amount of further support from private investors.
Alongside private sector investment, the project is set to create
3,000 direct highly-skilled jobs and another 5,000 indirect jobs
in the wider supply chain.
Prime Minister , said:
Britishvolt’s plan to build a new gigafactory in Northumberland
is a strong testament to the skilled workers of the North East
and the UK’s place at the helm of the global green industrial
revolution.
Backed by government and private sector investment, this new
battery factory will boost the production of electric vehicles in
the UK, whilst levelling up opportunity and bringing thousands of
new highly-skilled jobs to communities in our industrial
heartlands.
Business Secretary, said:
Today’s news is a major boost for Britain and a resounding vote
of confidence in the North East economy.
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.
Minister for Investment Lord Grimstone said:
Our support for Britishvolt’s gigafactory is not only set to
bring new jobs to the people of Northumberland, but by unlocking
huge amounts of additional investment, we are helping to
turbocharge the local economy. All of which will not only
transform Blyth, but also help us build the batteries that will
power our electric vehicles for a cleaner, greener future.
Through our Plan for Jobs the whole of the government is focused
on protecting, supporting and creating jobs across the country.
The government is investing millions to develop the supply chain
for cleaner vehicles in the UK, while working with our auto
industry to ensure it remains competitive for years to come. As
part of the Net Zero Strategy, we recently announced £350 million
of funding for the Automotive Transformation Fund. This is
additional to the £500 million already announced as part of the
10 Point Plan. Ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in
the UK by 2030 will put the UK on course to be the fastest G7
country to decarbonise cars and vans.
