Work on Somerset’s electric battery gigafactory has moved a step forward with the signing of a new contract.
NG Bailey, which is based in Leeds but has offices across the UK including in Plymouth, Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham, is one of two firms that has been selected by Tata’s battery business Agratas to provide mechanical, electrical and plumbing services to the facility.
The factory, at the Gravity smart campus in Puriton, is set to cost £4bn to build and will initially produce batteries for Jaguar Land Rover electric cars from 2026. Agratas has said it also plans to create batteries for other uses including two-wheelers and commercial vehicles.
Work on the site began earlier this year, with delivery led by main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine.
Jonathan Stockton, chief executive at NG Bailey, said: “One of our goals as a business is to play a key role in supporting the transition to a lower-carbon future, so we are delighted to be having such a vital role in this important project, which will have a significant impact on the UK’s ambitions for the decarbonisation of the economy.
“Our talented team have a long track record in delivering projects of this scale, including as the principal contractor on UKBIC, and we are looking forward to using our market leading expertise and innovative use of offsite manufacturing to develop a wide range of bespoke solutions which will support the gigafactory in its next phase of development.”
The 40 GWh factory will be the biggest of its kind in the UK once complete – and one of the largest in Europe. Some 4,000 jobs are expected to be created by the facility, with thousands more in the supply chain.
Earlier in October, Agratas invited 340 local businesses to an open day to hear about the opportunities to work on the development.
Jefferson Weber, head of UK construction at Agratas, said: “While this is a nationally significant project, Agratas is committed to a local-first approach that provides opportunities for businesses and individuals across Somerset.”
David Crew, managing director of Somerset Chamber of Commerce, added: “Somerset has many skilled and talented businesses who are ready to help deliver this exciting project.”
Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber
