West Midlands Gigafactory secures outline planning permission

The proposed West Midlands Gigafactory has been given outline planning permission by Warwick District Council and Coventry City Council.

The Gigafactory, which will manufacture high-tech lithium-ion batteries for the global automotive and energy storage industries, will result in £2.5bn investment and create up to 6,000 new highly skilled jobs directly and thousands more in the wider supply chain in Coventry, Warwickshire and the surrounding region.

The aim is to be production ready from 2025 and the Gigafactory will have capacity to deliver up to 60GWh by the end of the decade. 

As the world rapidly moves towards an increasingly electrified future, Gigafactories have been identified as critical to the UK’s automotive and domestic energy sectors, future economic growth and achieving Net Zero targets making the West Midlands Gigafactory “an imperative” for the UK’s electrified future. 

Mike Murray, Project Director commented, “This is an important milestone for the West Midlands Gigafactory. With outline planning permission supported, the site has everything in place that future investors, likely to be drawn from the global battery industry, need for a state-of-the-art Gigafactory. Thanks to this decision, we are now in strong position to progress our discussions with the global automotive and energy storage industries.” 

Cllr Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change at Coventry City Council said, “The Gigafactory is part of Coventry and Warwickshire’s ambitious 10-year vision and investment plan, it is at the heart of an area that has been developed to create the right environment for the next generation of automotive investment. 

“We have the location, people and supply chain expertise developed in the automotive and battery sectors over many years to make us the perfect location for a Gigafactory. The next step is to secure an investor to ensure that the wider automotive and battery ecosystem in Coventry and the West Midlands continues to contribute towards increased economic growth, job creation and skills development.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “This is another crucial step forward in bringing our plans for a West Midlands Gigafactory to life. The West Midlands is already home to 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. A Gigafactory therefore is the natural next step for the UK’s automotive heartland.”

 Councillor Andrew Day, Leader Warwick District Council: “In the past 100 years, there has probably not been a more important decision for the British Automotive industry. A new industrial revolution is underway and once again the West Midlands is playing a key part. We've the opportunity now to create thousands of new and highly skilled jobs, boosting the national effort to reduce carbon emissions and build a more prosperous local economy.” 

Powered by 100% renewable energy, plans for the 530 000 square metre Gigafactory include one of the UK’s largest rooftop arrays of photovoltaic panels to harness solar power to operate the factory. The site includes facilities to store any excess solar energy for use when its needed.

The Gigafactory will adopt a Net Zero transport and logistics strategy with excellent access to the UK’s motorway network as well as electrified road and rail options saving seven million miles of HGV traffic on roads annually.

The West Midlands Gigafactory industry leading ‘cradle-to-cradle’ approach allows the plant to both manufacture new batteries and recycle used ones.