West Midlands Gigafactory joint venture has unveiled further plans to develop the UK’s largest battery gigafactory at Coventry Airport from 2025.
The project, which is a public private partnership between Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport, says it is continuing to “explore investment opportunities with battery manufacturers from around the globe.”
It will cover more than half a million square metres of space and at full capacity will be capable of delivering up to 60GWh of production per year.
The gigafactory will also have access to 100% renewable electricity supply, from a combination of solar power and grid-supplied renewables.
In addition it will be able to recycle used batteries as well as build new, advanced lithium-ion batteries.
An outline planning proposal for the West Midlands Gigafactory was submitted in July and the application is yet to be determined.
The project is expected to inject £2.5bn of investment into the region and create up to 6,000 new highly skilled jobs directly and thousands more in the supply chain.
Mike Murray, West Midlands Gigafactory Project Director “The West Midlands Gigafactory has a singular mission to create a state-of-the-art battery gigafactory in the heart of the UK automotive industry.
“It will provide a huge cash investment in the area, leading to thousands of well-paid jobs and creating crucial new skills for this country.
“The Coventry Airport site is perfectly located to do just that, being ideally positioned to supply the UK’s leading automotive manufacturers who need access to world-class batteries on their doorsteps.
“We need to make these advanced lithium-ion batteries where we make cars and there is no better place than in the West Midlands.”
