Britishvolt fronts £200m to build battery facility

The Hams Hall site will be 260,000 sq. ft. of innovation in clean energy. Predicted to create upwards of 150 highly skilled and well-paying jobs, this technology hub puts the UK squarely at the forefront of the electrification revolution.

In-keeping with the eco-conscious nature of the industry, both Prologis and Britishvolt ensure that the construction of the site will be fully net zero. Not only that, but the completed facility will achieve an EPC Rating of ‘A’ when in operation.

The West Midlands is described by Tom Price - Capital Leasing & Deployment Director of Prologis -as “a ‘golden triangle’ of international battery excellence”, with industry experts such as the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre headquartered there. This incredible addition to the area further bolsters it as a hub of clean energy innovation.

Completion of the site is due in July. All of the equipment and full internal installation is due to be carried out through to the winter of 2023.

What will the Britishvolt site be doing?

The plant itself will innovate, create and produce battery cells that are production ready. These will then be transferred over to their Northumberland Gigaplant to be manufactured in large quantities.

The biggest barrier of entry to electric vehicles for many, is the cost. Due to the intense R&D that automakers have to carry out developing EVs, the cost is typically passed on to consumers via the sticker price. More importantly though, battery packs remain a huge proportion of the overall vehicle cost.

Investments - like the one Britishvolt has made - in battery production is imperative to drive the cost of production down. The company plans for this facility to be at the forefront of producing higher-performing, more affordable cells for electric vehicles. Through its work, the cost of batteries will eventually decline. Consequently so will EVs - paving the way for mass adoption.

With automakers such as Lotus Cars and Aston Marton Lagonda signing Memorandums of Understanding with Britishvolt, batteries produced at their plant will likely be fitted in cars such as the Lotus Eletre.

With the 2030 ban on ICE vehicles looming and demand for EVs far out-stripping supply, Britishvolt is on track to become one of the most important figureheads in the entire automotive industry. With demand already in excess of 7GWh for 2024 and 2025, the British company is going full steam (or electricity) ahead with production.

All aboard!