Electric vehicle batteries maker Britishvolt will begin construction of its gigafactory in Blythe, England by mid-2021.
The Manufacturers’ Organisation UK said in a press release on Feb 11 that the battery maker signed the UK Steel Charter this week, pledging to use only UK-made steel in the construction of this plant.
The charter was launched in May 2019 by the UK steel industry to increase the consumption of steel made in the country in public projects. According to figures cited by the Manufacturers’ Organisation UK, the country produces around 7.3mn mt of steel per year, which makes up for 65pc of the UK’s steel requirements.
Britishvolt’s first Gigafactory will produce lithium-ion batteries for the EV market. Construction of the £2.6bn ($3.5bn) plant is expected to begin in mid-2021, according to media reports, and is touted to be the largest automotive investment-related project in the UK in the past four decades. The plant will begin producing batteries in 2023.