The battery manufacturer Britishvolt has partnered with logistics real estate operator Prologis to build a £200 million battery cell scale-up facility in the West Midlands and cement its reputation as a “Battery Corridor”.

The company states the Battery Corridor concept behind the plans will enhance the UK’s existing battery ecosystem and powers the country ahead in the next industrial revolution.

Expected to be completed in 2023, the Hams Hall site will target new cell formats and electro chemistries to create the ‘higher performance, production ready, batteries of the future’, the company said.

The facility will also create upwards of 150 skilled jobs and complement Britishvolt’s value proposition for customers at Cambois, Northumberland and support the smooth rollout of Gigaplant operations in 2024.

Paul Franklin, property director at Britishvolt, said: “I am delighted to see Britishvolt lead the UK’s journey into re-industrialisation with the first full-scale battery Gigaplant.

“The new R&D and scale-up facilities announced today will help the UK build on its home-grown battery intellectual property and level up the country ready for the energy transition.”

Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands, remarked: “Britishvolt’s investment in the West Midlands is another seismic vote of confidence both in the future of our region and our automotive prowess.

“We are already the heartland of the UK’s automotive industry with the country’s biggest car manufacturer, Europe’s largest research centre of its kind, the UK’s only battery industrialisation centre, and a world-leading supply chain. So, it is incredibly exciting that as we accelerate our Gigafactory plans for Coventry Airport, Britishvolt are adding their expertise to our cluster.”

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