ISG will build a new lithium-ion battery factory in Northumberland – the first of its kind in the UK.
The news follows an announcement last week by Britishvolt that it had chosen the site of a former power station in Blyth for its new factory.
Construction of the £2.6bn ‘gigaplant’ designed by Italian firm Pininfarina, will start in summer 2021, with production set to begin in 2023.
Once in operation, the plant run on renewable energy, including the potential to use hydro-electric power generated in Norway and transmitted 447 miles under the North Sea via the world’s longest inter-connector from the North Sea Link project.
ISG CEO, Paul Cossell said: “This landmark project to build the UK’s first gigaplant is one of the most visible signs that we are confidently stepping up to meet the challenge of new zero emissions by 2050 and closely aligned with the government’s key commitment to cease petrol and diesel car manufacturing by 2030. The construction phase alone will directly support thousands of jobs in the North East and create a wealth of training and upskilling opportunities for local communities. The legacy of this major investment will benefit the region for generations to come.”
Britishvolt CEO, Orral Nadjari said: “We’re delighted to have engaged ISG as the construction partner for our Blyth gigaplant. Its long expertise of delivering global projects will be crucial to meeting our exacting standards and tight timeframe.
“Especially key is that ISG’s frontline team delivered Jaguar Land Rover’s production facility in Nitra, Slovakia, giving Britishvolt hugely relevant and recent experience in delivering large-scale projects such as ours.
“Our gigaplant project is now on track in every key area: construction, product development, funding and a high-level of customer engagement for our world-class lithium-ion batteries. We will be production ready at the end of 2023. It’s essential that we are ready to power the future as quickly as possible.”
