A planning application for a gigantic battery factory located at Coventry Airport has been submitted, with the outcome to be decided by Warwick District Council and Coventry City Council later this year.
The plan was submitted by a newly formed joint venture partnership between Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport, which say the proposals would provide 5.7 million square feet of space for the production and recycling of batteries from electric vehicles, adding £ 434million in gross value to the regional economy.
The proposal also claims that 6,000 new jobs will be created, with tens of thousands added to the supply chain, and that the plant will be powered 100% by green energy, including solar and wind power. .
The applicants also claim that Coventry Airport is an ideal location for an electric vehicle battery factory, as it is adjacent to the UK Battery Industrialization Center, which is the UK’s largest battery research center.
“It is essential for the mission that the West Midlands secures a gigafactory, both for the future of the automotive industry in our region and the enormous economic and employment benefits it would bring, as well as for the future. of our planet, ”said the Mayor of West Midlands. Andy Street.
“The West Midlands is already home to the country’s largest automaker, the largest such research center in Europe, the UK’s only battery industrialization center and a leading supply chain. So a gigafactory is the natural next step for the UK automotive heartland, and I won’t rest until we get one. ”
The proposed plant has also been supported by local MPs, Warwick District Council, Warwickshire County Council, West Midlands Combined Authority and the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
The plans come as Nissan also recently announced it will produce batteries for electric vehicles in Sunderland, while start-up Britishvolt plans to open its own gigafactory in Blyth, Northumberland in 2023.
A third of all cars produced in the UK are produced in the West Midlands by companies including Aston Martin, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover.
The UK government plans to ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars from 2030, and with automakers increasingly switching to electric vehicles to cut emissions, the need for an electric vehicle battery factory in this country is increasing rapidly.
The government has also faced increasing pressure to support the development of battery production for electric vehicles, following reports from the Confederation of British Industry and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders calling for progress. before the United Kingdom falls behind its European competitors.
“Coventry has become a world leader in battery technology,” said George Duggins, Head of Coventry City Council. “The city is home to the UK Battery Industrialization Center [and] world-class research institutions, and it’s clear to me that Coventry is the right place.
“Coventry Airport sits at the heart of this powerful automotive research hub and is the obvious location for a UK gigafactory. Our joint venture partnership is unique in the UK and it creates a strong platform to attract investment and create over 4,000 new jobs, support our automotive industry and secure our competitive edge.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-14 23:01:22