Britishvolt Appoints ISG As Construction Partner For Britain's First Battery Gigaplant

- UK's first battery gigaplant will be built in Blyth, Northumberland and will be operational by the end of 2023

- Global construction specialist ISG will lead the build of the Britishvolt gigaplant

- Britishvolt gigaplant has been designed by Pininfarina and will produce world-class lithium-ion batteries for the automotive and energy storage industries

- £2.6bn total investment: gigaplant will provide 3000 jobs and up to 5000 in the wider supply chain

LONDON, Dec. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Britishvolt, the UK's foremost investor in battery technologies, has appointed global specialist ISG to lead construction on the UK's first battery gigaplant.

The new gigaplant will be sited in Blyth, Northumberland, with construction planned to commence in Summer 2021. The result of £2.6bn investment, it will begin producing world-class lithium-ion batteries for the automotive and renewable energy industries at the end of 2023. Construction of further phases will continue until the end of 2027.

ISG has a 30-year legacy of large-scale global production projects. It has recently delivered over £2.5bn worth of data centre projects and £750M of logistics and distribution centres across the globe. It is also currently working two flagship schemes in London: University College's £280M neuroscience hub and the Oak Cancer Centre at the Royal Marsden Hospital.

Britishvolt CEO, Orral Nadjari "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." 

ISG CEO, Paul Cossell "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."

The gigaplant is being designed by leading Italian design experts Pininfarina. It will be built on a 95-hectare site, formerly the site of the Blyth Power Station. It will exclusively use 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.

About Britishvolt

Britishvolt is Britain's foremost investor in battery technologies. It is dedicated to supporting the future of electrified transportation and sustainable energy storage, producing world-leading lithium-ion battery technologies.

Britishvolt's aim is to establish the UK as the leading force in battery technology. It is working with leading partners and suppliers to achieve this because it is of paramount importance to the future of the UK automotive industry and the overall economic and industrial health of the UK.

The company believes that the UK is the right place for its investments because of the strength of its automotive and energy industry, its expertise and history of industrial and academic battery research and development.

Quarter four of 2023 has been targeted as the start of production in Britain's first gigaplant in Blyth, Northumberland.