Sir Robert McAlpine tapped to lead delivery of Tata Group's EV battery cell manufacturing project in Bridgwater, which is slated to open in 2026
Tata Group's plans to build a "multi-billion-pound" battery factory in Somerset to supply the burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing industry has taken a major step forward, with the appointment of Sir Robert McAlpine as lead engineering and delivery provider for the project.
Agratas, Tata Group's specialist battery business, today announced the "phased appointment" of construction and engineering firm Sir Robert McAlpine as the official delivery partner for the 40GWh capacity 'gigafactory' in Bridgwater, which is slated to begin operations in 2026.
Once completed, the manufacturing facility is set to be the biggest of its kind in the UK, and by the early 2030s is expected to provide almost half of all projected battery manufacturing capacity required by the UK automotive sector, according to Agratas.
Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors - which both sit within Tata Group's portfolio - have been lined up to be among the first customers for the battery cell production plant, which is also expected to supply cells for grid battery storage projects.
The government last year agreed a support package with Tata Group reportedly worth hundreds of millions of pounds in order to help secure delivery of the project, which is set to create up to 4,000 new green tech jobs.
MPs have previously warned the UK faces a looming battery "gigafactory gap" that risks hampering the growth of the domestic EV industry, unless stronger efforts are made to secure more private investment towards growing battery manufacturing capacity.
Joe Hibbert, vice president for capital projects at Agratas, described today's announcement as "another pivotal moment for our nationally significant project".
He added that the Sir Robert McAlpine team would being "an unrivalled commitment to technical excellence, client service, sustainability and exemplary project delivery, and most importantly, they live and breathe our shared vision of placing community at the heart of everything we do".
The main building and ancillary development for the "state of the art" battery plant are together expected to span almost 250,000 square metres, which is more than a third larger than Wembley Stadium.
Preparatory works at the site have already been underway for several months, with the boring of pile foundations for the main building set to start in the coming weeks, all of which are now set to be led by Sir Robert McAlpine alongside further preparation works for the development, it said.
"Across our 155-year history, have always been at the forefront of industrial change in the UK," said Grant Findlay, executive managing director for buildings at Sir Robert McAlpine. "This is why we are proud to be working with Agratas as its preferred delivery partner."
Bridgwater was chosen as the location for the gigafactory earlier this year, where Agratas said it plans to work with a range of regional partners including Somerset County Council, Bridgwater and Taunton College, and the wider Gravity Smart Campus where the facility is to be built, in order to delivery bespoke battery and EV education and training programmes in the region.
