The multi-million pound project to ascertain an electrical vehicle (EV) battery gigafactory at Bridgwater has taken one other step forward with work starting with National Grid.
The EV battery production facility – run by Tata Group’s global battery business Agratas – is on account of open in 2026 and goals to produce almost half of the batteries needed by the UK’s automotive industry by the early 2030s.
National Grid has now began the engineering work to attach the UK’s biggest battery factory to the grid.
National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) is constructing two interim 33kV connections which can power the Agratas site until a high voltage 400kV substation, built by National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), is complete.
NGED president Cordi O’Hara said: “The Agratas battery factory at Gravity is about to bring 1000’s of expert jobs and supply a lift to the regional economy, in addition to pushing forward the electrification of transport across the country.
“It is a clear example of networks acting as a catalyst for growth and shows the advantages that upgraded networks can bring.
“We’re committed to investing significantly in our network so it may deliver energy where it is required for purchasers.”
Site preparation on the Agratas Somerset facility is progressing steadily, with the project reaching a significant milestone: the completion of all piling operations.
Greater than 16,800 piles have been successfully installed. Key infrastructure can also be in place, including a dedicated construction access road and fully operational site cabins. As well as, groundwork and pile cap activities are well underway, marking continued progress across the positioning.
The battery factory is the most recent major grid connection National Grid is undertaking across its transmission and distribution networks.
On its distribution network, last 12 months there have been 42% more demand and 28% more generation connection requests than the 12 months before. There have also been twice as many EV connections prior to now two years than all previous years combined.
The connection of latest demand sources, corresponding to battery factories, is predicted to contribute to a rise in Britain’s overall annual electricity demand from industry of around 30% between now and 2035.
This Article First Appeared At www.am-online.com
