WIREDGOV

The government has provided Britishvolt with a final grant offer through the Automotive Transformation Fund for its planned gigafactory in Northumberland.

The government has provided Britishvolt with a final grant offer through the Automotive Transformation Fund for its planned gigafactory in Northumberland.

The factory will produce enough batteries for over 300,000 electric vehicles each year, significantly supporting the UK automotive industry’s transition to a zero emissions future and increased production of electric vehicles. The project is set to create 3,000 direct highly-skilled jobs and another 5,000 indirect jobs in the wider supply chain.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

I’m delighted to confirm we have now provided Britishvolt with a final grant offer through the Automotive Transformation Fund. The Blyth gigafactory will turbocharge our plans to embed a globally competitive electric vehicle supply chain in the UK and it is fantastic to see how the project is progressing.

The vast site will ensure Britain can fully capture the benefits of the booming global electric vehicle market. The well-paid jobs and growth it will generate for the North East of England will be transformational and are exactly the reason we are investing to make the UK the best place in the world for automotive manufacturing.

The government originally announced backing for the project in January 2022.

The Automotive Transformation Fund is an £850 million programme to electrify Britain’s automotive supply chain and protect our nation’s competitiveness in the global market.