Train aggregate deliveries mark start of NE Gigafactory site
Work is gearing up for construction of Britishvolt’s Northumberland coast battery Gigafactory with the establishment of a materials compound at the nearby Port of Blyth, north of Tynemouth.
The first 1,500 tonne load of aggregate, from a quarry in Shap, Cumbria, is part of a total consignment of 316,000 tonnes of stone needed to create a stable platform from which to install the 25-hectare building’s foundation piles.
Construction materials company Breedon will make two train deliveries every day for the next 24 weeks for main contractor ISG.
Once a stockpile of aggregate has accumulated a major haulage operation will start to get the aggregate to the site, just 1.3 miles away. A total of 334 journeys will be made every day, with one lorry load entering site every three minutes.
ISG construction director Rob Bradley said, “Logistical and timetable constraints ruled out direct deliveries to the site, so we sought an alternative solution that would minimise disruption and support the local economy. The Port of Blyth is an ideal materials hub, with the infrastructure and logistical expertise to run this programme-critical operation, and this solution importantly uses skilled operatives that were facing a challenging future as existing haulage contracts were winding down in the area.”
Britishvolt’s head of environmental, social, and corporate governance, Craig Woodburn, added, “Building the UK’s largest Gigafactory is an immense undertaking, but despite the scale, complexity and pace of this ground-breaking scheme, our project team interrogates every decision we take to maximise value for the regional economy, while also reducing the local environmental impact of developing a new site. By selecting primarily rail movements over road transport we reduce local impact and reduce overall carbon emissions associated with getting the material to our site.
“The key milestones that have taken this project from a concept vision to shovel ready project in record time have all been achieved through consent and collaboration with the local community, and we are committed to paying forward this belief and trust in Britishvolt by making the right decisions, not the easy ones, to ensure we create a true legacy transformation for this region for generations to come.”
Under the rules-of-origin Brexit clause, which sets a limit on the value of materials from a different country which can be used before a finished product is considered as not originating from another country, it is essential for the future of UK automotive sector to establish a strong EV battery manufacturing capacity within the UK.