Start-up Britishvolt and the Welsh Government have signed a memorandum of understanding over plans to develop a 30GWh battery manufacturing plant and 200MW solar farm at a former RAF base (Bro Tathan) in the Vale of Glamorgan.

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Nominally called the ‘GigaPlant’, it will be situated in 80 hectares of industrial park, “with a production capacity of up to 35GWh,” according to the company.

There is no certainty that the plant will be built:

“Both parties have now signed a memorandum of understanding, to collaborate on the potential of building the UK’s first full cycle battery cell gigaplant subject to UK government funding through the Automotive Transformation Fund, to produce lithium ion cylindrical and pouch cells primarily servicing the automotive market,” said Britishvolt. “A successful outcome of the partnership could enable the scalable production of a world-class portfolio of lithium ion batteries, creating and expanding an onshore manufacturing ecosystem and supply chain. It is anticipated that the initial £1.2bn of investment from the company could eventually lead towards up to 3,500 jobs. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2021.”

Speaking of location, Britishvolt founder and CEO Orral Nadjari said: “Hiring local people, including those currently out of work, and developing strong relationships with nearby educational facilities will be a priority for us to ensure a stream of skilled staff. Britishvolt will also encourage other businesses to invest in the region with the aim of creating a hub of battery electrification.”

The most recent news out of Britishvolt is that it has appointed a project director – Ray Macera – for the construction and implementation of the plant. “He joins Britishvolt as a veteran of large-scale automotive projects, most recently, the Gestamp pressing facility that supplies Jaguar Land Rover’s Nitra plant in Slovakia,” said the company.

Building partners have been contracted, according to Britishvolt: NG Bailey to lead the build, Ridge and Partners for architectural project management. “Both businesses have recently helped deliver the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre in Coventry which has been funded by the government-backed Faraday Battery Challenge,” according to Britishvolt.

Rolton Group has been selected for engineering design and Savills will tackle infrastructure and planning services. Gigaplant is being designed by Italian company Pininfarina.

In 2018, Aston Martin announced plans to build “brand’s centre for electrification and the production home of the Lagonda brand, the world’s first zero-emission luxury marque,” in three huge hangers on the Bro Tathan site, which is near Cardiff airport and also known as St Athan.

Although Aston Martin still features the St Athan site on its website, there are reports that the car due to be built there, the Rapide E electric car, will not be built.