New car battery plant in Northumberland could bring 8,000 jobs to North East

Orral Nadjari from Britishvolt says he is confident the company raise the money required.

A new manufacturing plant could bring thousands of new jobs to Northumberland by 2027, if initial investment is secured.

The plant, which would be built in Blyth, would make lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

The company Britishvolt says the site would create 3,000 full-time jobs and a further 5,000 jobs in the supply chain.

Britishvolt says it has selected a site in Blyth to build the UK’s first battery gigaplant and intends to begin construction in Summer 2021. Batteries will be in production by the end of 2023 and employment will begin in 2027.

However, the company needs an initial investment of £1.2 billion for the first phase. Bosses are speaking with private investors and also speaking to the government about funding.

The amount raised so far has not been disclosed but the company says it is confident the goal will be reached.

Total investment for Britishvolt’s gigaplant is £2.6 billion, making it the largest industrialinvestment in the North East since Nissan’s arrival in 1984 and one of the largest-everindustrial investments in the UK.

Britishvolt CEO, Orral Nadjari said: “We are delighted to have secured this site in Blyth.

"This is a tremendous moment both for Britishvolt and UK industry. Now we can really start the hard work and begin producing lithium-ion batteries for future electrified vehicles in just three years.

"It is crucial for the UK automotive industry and for the entire economy that we are able to power the future. The sooner we start, the better."

Blyth Valley MP, Ian Levy said: “This is an incredibly exciting announcement that will have a massive impact in the constituency and the surrounding area for decades to come.

"I can’t think of anything comparable in the North East since Nissan invested in Sunderland more than 35 years ago."

The Britishvolt gigaplant will be built on a 95-hectare site, formerly the site of the Blyth Power Station. It will 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.