Tata Group's Agratas to built Britain's 'biggest' 40 GWh battery factory

Tata Group's battery business Agratas has confirmed that it will build a gigafactory for manufacturing batteries on the Gravity Smart Campus near Bridgwater, Somerset in the UK. 

The company has claimed that the proposed 40 GWh factory is set to be the biggest battery factory in the country, which will contribute almost half of the projected battery manufacturing capacity required for the UK automotive sector by early 2030s. 

A significant land holding has been acquired at Gravity, the company added. Preliminary works on the site are in progress, with piling to establish the factory's foundations set to start in the coming months. Construction is expected to span multiple phases, with battery production set to begin in 2026.

The development follows Agratas's announcement last year that the UK would be home to the company's first gigafactory other than the 20 GWh factory that is coming up in Gujarat, India. 

"Our multi-billion-pound investment will bring state-of-the-art technology to Somerset, helping to supercharge Britian's transition to electric mobility whilst creating thousands of jobs in the process" commented Tom Flack, CEO, Agratas. 

"We care deeply about the communities we operate in, so it's imperative to us that we work with, and listen to, our new neighbours as we build our factory in Somerset. That's why we'll be holding an event for local residents very soon, so we can share more about our plans and introduce our team to the community", he added.

The factory will create up to 4,000 new high-skilled green tech jobs in the area, with many thousands more expected to be created in the UK supply chain, according to Agratas.

The company also claims to work closely with local and regional partners, including Somerset Council, Bridgwater and Taunton College, and the wider Gravity Smart Campus, to deliver bespoke education and training programmes in the region, creating local jobs for local people.

As expected, JLR and Tata Motors will be Agratas' first OEM customers for battery packs. The company also plans to create batteries for other applications, including two-wheelers and commercial vehicles, as well as commercial energy storage solutions.