Preparations are progressing for the Tata Group’s UK 40 GWh battery cell factory in Somerset. Piling operations have been completed, and National Grid is currently taking care of the site’s power supply. The plant is scheduled to open in 2026.
A year ago, Tata’s battery subsidiary Agratas announced plans to build its cell plant on the Gravity Smart Campus near Bridgwater in the south-west English county of Somerset. The factory is expected to have an annual capacity of 40 GWh and create around 4,000 jobs in the region. Production is scheduled to start in 2026. The press department of National Grid, the British high-voltage electricity grid operator, has now confirmed the opening year. National Grid is currently working on the site’s electricity connection.
At the same time, the site’s piling work should have been completed: “More than 16,800 piles have been successfully installed. Key infrastructure is also in place, including a dedicated construction access road and fully operational site cabins,” reads an accompanying press release.
Unsurprisingly, the factory’s customers will include Tata and its British subsidiary JLR. In addition to automotive-grade battery cells, Agratas also plans to develop batteries for other applications, such as two-wheelers, commercial vehicles and stationary energy storage systems on a commercial scale. National Grid states that by the early 2030s, the factory will provide “almost half of the batteries needed by the UK’s automotive industry.”
Jefferson Weber, Head of UK Construction at Agratas, emphasised: “The electrical connection being developed by National Grid is a critical infrastructure project that will supply the essential power needed to operate our new facility. This connection is fundamental to ensuring the reliable energy supply required to support what will be the UK’s largest battery manufacturing facility.”
UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks added that the project will create 4,000 highly skilled clean energy jobs in Bridgwater. “In Somerset, and across the country, the clean energy transition is revitalising our industrial heartlands and bringing opportunity, growth and jobs to our communities.” Shanks also pointed to the Government’s Clean Energy Action Plan, which includes “the most ambitious reforms to the country’s energy system in a generation. This includes re-ordering the grid connection queue so we can free up capacity and accelerate connections for vital projects like this.”
