Construction commences on United Kingdom's largest electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility, located in Somerset.
The UK's largest electric vehicle (EV) battery factory, owned by Agratas, a Tata Group company, has commenced construction in 2025 and is planned to open in 2027 [1][2]. The factory, being built on the former Royal Ordnance Factory site just off junction 23 of the M5, marks a significant milestone in the UK's EV manufacturing sector and industrial strategy.
The construction process began after 17,000 piles were driven down into the ground to stabilize the building's foundations. The steel structure for the plant is being erected in phases, with the build beginning at the north of the site. Notably, all the steel used for the build is being sourced from British suppliers.
By the end of 2025, about 500 people will be working on the site, with this number increasing to 2,000 in 2026. This indicates a substantial construction workforce supporting the roughly two-year build phase. Once the plant expands across the whole site, it is expected to offer 4,000 jobs.
The factory, once operational, will provide a significant number of ongoing local jobs. While exact operational employment figures are not specified, large EV battery gigafactories often create several thousand permanent manufacturing and administrative jobs to run high-capacity production lines aimed at producing tens of gigawatt-hours (GWh) of batteries annually [4].
The factory is expected to produce approximately 40 GWh of batteries annually by 2026–2027 [4], enabling supply for hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles. The main building of the electric vehicle battery plant will be 84 meters shorter than originally proposed.
Agratas, Tata Group's global battery business, is investing £4bn in the project. To minimize the impact on local residents, no cutting or grinding works will take place on Sundays. Additionally, Agratas promises to use sound-reduced equipment and electric plant if possible.
The first factory building will not open until 2027, a year later than previously anticipated. However, this development is still considered a major milestone in the construction process. When it opens in 2027, the plant is expected to create 1,500 operational jobs.
This UK-based gigafactory is set to be one of Europe's largest EV battery producers, contributing significantly to the UK's EV manufacturing sector and industrial strategy.
The construction of the UK's largest renewable-energy industry factory, owned by Agratas, a Tata Group company, is anticipated to attract finance from various sources, given the significant investment of £4bn in the project. As the technology evolves, this factory, once operational, is expected to produce energy through the generation of tens of gigawatt-hours (GWh) of renewable-energy batteries annually, serving the finance sector with sustainable solutions.
