Jaguar Land Rover owner share new plans for UK's biggest EV battery plant
Bosses behind the UK's biggest electric vehicle (EV) battery plant have shared new plans for the site.The main building will now be shorter than originally proposed, and the first factory building will not open until 2027 - a year later than previously thought.Agratas, Tata Group's global battery business, is investing £4bn in the former Royal Ordnance Factory site just off junction 23 of the M5. Bosses said 4,000 jobs will be created and enough battery cells annually to supply 500,000 vehicles.Jefferson Weber, Agratas head of construction, said: "Despite a level of uncertainty in the market, we're here making a big strategic bet in Somerset. We really believe in this market, we're bullish about it and we think it's the future of vehicle manufacturing."
Jaguar Land Rover owners Tata is hosting a series of community consultation events this week to update residents on changes to the plans.These include the main building now being shorter than originally planned, the first phase of the internal ring-road and National Grid's plans for an electricity substation to power the site.The gigafactory will be one of the largest in Europe and will initially make batteries for vehicles like Range Rover, the Defender and the Jaguar brands.Under the plans, the plant will also supply other car manufacturers as well as producing commercial energy storage.
Mr Weber added: "We looked at cutting-edge technologies from lots of different countries and we managed to find an optimal solution that allowed us to reduce the building size by around 84 metres."It reduces energy and water consumption along with our carbon footprint."But he denied it was a sign they were scaling back the project. "The number of jobs and opportunities from this project during its construction and operational phases remains the same," he added.Construction is expected to take two years, with about 500 people on site by end of 2025, going up to 2,000 in 2026. The company said 1,500 operational jobs would be created in 2027, with 4,000 jobs on offer once they expand across the whole site
The site will eventually produce 40GWh of battery cells annually, enough to supply approximately 500,000 passenger vehicles, Agratas saidBy the early 2030s, the facility could provide up to 40% of all electric vehicle batteries for the UK domestic market, the company said.It previously said the overall project would be worth "hundreds of millions" to the local economy.
A department for transport spokesperson said they recognised the global challenges car manufacturers face and have listened to their concerns by consulting on reinstating the 2030 phase out date of new petrol and diesel car sales."One in four of all cars sold in February was electric, and last year saw a record 382k EVs sold – the highest in Europe. "We're investing over £2.3 billion to support industry and consumers make the switch, tapping into a multibillion-pound industry that will create high paid jobs for decades to come, make the UK a clean energy superpower and secure Britain's future to deliver our Plan for Change," they added.The previous government confirmed in 2023, Tata had been offered a "large" incentive to site the plant in the UK.It is understood that the government is providing subsidies worth hundreds of millions of pounds.They are likely to be in the form of cash grants, discounts on the cost of energy, and training and research funding.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
10 hours ago
- Reuters
Titan's CaratLane eyes growth, more stores as young Indians embrace low-carat jewellery
June 9 (Reuters) - Titan Company's ( opens new tab CaratLane aims to surpass last financial year's revenue growth, as younger Indians warm up to lower-carat jewellery and the brand plans to open more stores, its top boss told Reuters. Brands selling lower-carat jewellery, including CaratLane and Kalyan Jewellers' ( opens new tab Candere, are rapidly expanding as younger Indians increasingly buy such pieces for adornment in a country that traditionally views jewellery as an investment. Around Valentine's Day this year, CaratLane launched 9-carat jewellery in a country that mainly buys 22-carat gold. Candere plans to open 80 stores in India in the year that started April 1, matching the number of higher-priced Kalyan locations planned for the same period, while larger-sized CaratLane aims to open more than 40 outlets, mostly in smaller cities. As of end-March, CaratLane had 322 stores, making it the second-largest jewellery brand by store count within the Tata Group. The brand contributes about 6% to Titan's overall revenue. "Overall growth (in fiscal 2026) ... will be no less than what we have done last year," CaratLane Managing Director Saumen Bhaumik said in an interview after market hours on Friday. In the year ended March 31, CaratLane's topline jumped 24% to 35.83 billion rupees ($418.96 million), with earnings before interest and taxes at 2.96 billion rupees, helping the brand record its best year. Profit for the nascent financial year "is going to be significantly better", Bhaumik said. In recent months, while soaring gold prices have led many Indians to opt for lightweight, lower-carat jewellery to stay within budget, Bhaumik said CaratLane's average bill value has still inched up by a tenth, aided by new launches. CaratLane plans to open a second U.S. store in Dallas by the festival of Deepavali this year and two Dubai outlets within eight months. ($1 = 85.5210 Indian rupees)
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Scots holidaymakers warned of summer chaos as hundreds of airport staff plan walkout
Passengers and planes could be grounded FLIGHTMARE! Scots holidaymakers warned of summer chaos as hundreds of airport staff plan walkout Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOLIDAYMAKERS have been warned of the potential for strike action at Glasgow Airport over the summer as more than 800 workers from five companies are involved in pay disputes. Unite the union said workers at Glasgow Airport Ltd, ICTS Central Search, Swissport, Menzies Aviation and Falck could be balloted for walkouts. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Staff at Glasgow Airport could strike later this year Credit: John Kirkby - The Sun Glasgow 3 Workers are caught up in a pay dispute with bosses Credit: John Kirkby - The Sun Glasgow The union said on Saturday that if there is no successful resolution to the disputes in the coming days, it will move towards holding votes on industrial action within two weeks. It warned strikes could "ground planes and passengers". Pat McIlvogue, Unite industrial officer, said walkouts could be held from the middle of July. More than 100 Swissport workers are locked in a dispute about rotas and work-life balance, according to Unite. It said the company "is demanding that workers at extreme short notice have to work shifts at various times and for various durations, which is directly impacting on their personal lives". Unite said some Swissport staff are "struggling with chronic fatigue". A further 250 ICTS Central Search workers, who deal with passengers directly in the security search area and process them for flights, are currently involved in a dispute over under-staffing, working conditions and pay. A total of 120 workers employed by Glasgow Airport Limited have rejected a basic 3.6% pay increase, with staff including airport ambassadors, airside support officers, engineers and managers involved. The same 3.6% pay increase was rejected by 50 Falck firefighters who perform fire safety functions at the airport. Meanwhile 300 Menzies Aviation workers, including dispatchers, allocators, airside agents and controllers, have rejected a basic uplift worth around 4.25%. The union recently announced a series of what it said were wage wins for 100 North Air workers across Scottish airports, and more than 140 staff based at Glasgow Airport employed by ABM and OCS. Shock moment brazen Manchester Airport worker WEES on driver's Range Rover in long-stay carpark Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Hundreds of workers at Glasgow Airport are heading towards summer strike action which would ground planes and passengers. "The companies involved are all highly profitable and can easily afford to give our members better pay and working conditions. "The truth is that they are denying fair pay increases to cynically boost their profits." Mr McIlvogue said: "Unite is in dispute with companies at Glasgow Airport which could ultimately bring hundreds of workers out on strike. "The companies can resolve these disputes with Unite before that situation happens by addressing the legitimate concerns and pay aspirations of our members. "If the companies refuse to work with Unite to resolve these disputes, then we will have no option but to open strike ballots. This could mean strike action happening from the middle of July." A spokesperson for Swissport said: "We are in dialogue with Unite - the talks so far have been constructive and we remain focused on working together to address the issues being raised." Phil Lloyd, senior vice president UK, Menzies Aviation, said: "Following the rejection of recent pay award proposals, we remain committed to seeking a resolution, and have in fact met with Unite today to make an enhanced offer, with a follow-up session scheduled. "We hope to reach an agreement which is workable for both the business and our employees at Glasgow Airport. "We continue to work towards an agreeable solution to protect services for our airline and airport partners and their customers." Glasgow Airport Ltd, ICTS Central Search, and Falck have been contacted for comment.
Auto Blog
3 days ago
- Auto Blog
The Biggest Genesis SUV Yet Is Almost Here
Genesis Is Finally Revealing Some Of The GV90's Looks Genesis is serious about taking on luxury European rivals, and to do that, it needs products in the segments where BMW, Mercedes, and Range Rover are operating. While one side of creating a high-end image is showing one's performance credentials, which Genesis aims to do at Le Mans very soon, another is the luxury element, and the upcoming GV90 will take the Korean brand to new heights, rivaling premium SUVs like the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS. Our spies have caught a development mule undergoing testing in Austria, and for the first time, the big SUV is showing its front-end lighting signature properly, confirming a bold new look. The Lighting Signature Will Look Like No Other If these spy shots show a somewhat familiar face, you may be recognizing elements of the Genesis Neolun concept, revealed last year. Like that show car, the prototype in these images has a distinctive lighting signature that sees two LED running lights stretch across the front fascia, pausing over the top of the wheel arches, and resuming at the rear of the front fenders. The bottom DRL deviates slightly near the middle, slanting inward to create a valley that gives the GV90 its Genesis-specific look. A pair of intake grilles above and below the license plate will help with the impression of width, and we suspect there may be additional lighting units on each end of the bumper. Big wheels are a given, as is metallic trim around the glasshouse. We haven't got a great view of the back since there's still a lot of fabric camouflage clad to the car, but another dual-strip lighting design is evident. We expect less chrome than the concept, but the diamond-shaped grille mesh should make production. What To Expect Beneath The Sculpted Skin Source: Autoblog While this particular prototype has conventional doors, earlier spy shots have indicated that the rear-opening coach doors that helped give the Neolun concept so much presence will make production, likely as an option. This could also suggest that a long-wheelbase version will be available, much like the ESV take on the Cadillac Escalade. The GV90 is reportedly codenamed JG1 and is based on a new EV platform called eM, which can be used to underpin SUVs as large as the GV90, along with vehicles small enough for the compact segment. As many as 13 new vehicles are expected to be launched on the architecture by 2030, though that may shift as legislation does. Will it be good enough to beat Audi's upcoming Q9 and rivals from BMW and Mercedes? Time will tell, but the signs are good so far. About the Author Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
