Appointed to project and cost manage £450m North East car battery gigafactory
We have been appointed by Envision AESC as project and cost manager on the build of its advanced car battery gigafactory at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP), which spans 50 hectares of land in South Tyneside and Sunderland.
We are working alongside Wates who are leading on the design of the £450 million Gigafactory facility, which will form part of a £1bn partnership with Nissan UK and Sunderland City Council to create an electric vehicle (EV) hub to deliver the next generation of electric vehicle production at IAMP. The adaptable design will provide the infrastructure to support battery production by 2024.
Using our experience delivering world-class battery gigafactories across Europe, Asia and the Americas and Wates’ expertise from across its integrated construction practice, the team will work together to accelerate Envision AESC’s ambition to create a world-leading net-zero carbon facility and achieve carbon neutrality across its operations by 2022. The gigafactory will also play a critical role in decarbonising both UK manufacturing and transport.
Planning permission was granted in October for the gigafactory, which represents an initial 9GWh plant with potential future-phase investment by Envision AESC of £1.8bn. This will generate up to 25GWh and create 4,500 new high-value green jobs in the region by 2030, with potential on-site for up to 35GWh.
This commitment will power Nissan’s new vehicles in the first phase and support the continued localisation of vehicle parts and components with advanced technology. As part of the design process, Wates is already engaging with local supply chain partners, seeking their input on areas ranging from clean utilities to fire protection services.
Chris Caygill, Managing Director of the Envision AESC battery plant, said:
Envision AESC is pleased to be working with both Wates Group and Turner & Townsend as key partners in this next stage of our UK gigafactory development.
"Each brings unique strengths to the project that will help deliver a world-class battery manufacturing facility essential to helping the UK automotive industry transition to a fully electrified future.
“We pride ourselves particularly on the safety record of our batteries, which continually achieve zero critical incidents in new product and process designs. Together with smart, digitally integrated clean energy generation, storage and use in our battery plants, we are supporting the global transition towards net-zero carbon energy targets.”
Daniel Granger, Head of Industrial and Logistics EMEA commented:
Battery technology and advanced manufacturing are driving the modernisation of the automotive industry and our acceleration to a net-zero society.
"The race to supply the net-zero economy is well and truly underway and companies will need to scale up quickly to keep pace with the growing demand for clean mobility. All eyes will be on Envision and its Sunderland plant to deliver a world-class facility that can compete in the international battery race.
“We are proud to partner with Envision and Wates and look forward to deploying our unrivalled expertise in managing, delivering and scaling up state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities on this project.”
Darren Laybourn, Director and North East Strategic Lead commented:
Electric vehicles play an important role in the UK’s net zero and decarbonisation ambitions and it is great to see the North East powering the drive to a renewable future.
“Led by our team in the North East, we will draw on knowledge and expertise from across the firm to ensure this new facility will provide a state-of-the-art home for the future of UK battery manufacturing and a welcome economic boost for the region.”