UK National Grid begins work on UK’s largest EV battery production facility

The National Grid’s multi-million-pound scheme is the new phase in constructing the UK’s planned 40GWh factory at the Gravity Smart Campus near Bridgwater, Somerset. Once completed at the 620-acre campus, it’s expected to result in the creation of more than 4,000 highly skilled jobs as the UK seeks to become a major figure in the global EV battery race.

It’s the UK’s most ambitious move yet in the industry. The production facility, operated by Agratas, a subsidiary of Tata Group, is expected to begin producing its first batch of EV batteries in 2026. By the early 2030s, the facility is expected to supply nearly half of the UK auto industry’s EV batteries.

The National Grid’s role in building two interim 33kV connections is part of the UK government’s commitment to supporting the country’s green transition as more cars go electric.

According to Michael Shanks, Minister for Energy, “Our Clean Power Action Plan sets out how we will deliver a new era of clean electricity, with the most ambitious reforms to the country’s energy system in a generation. This includes re-ordering the grid connection queue so we can free up capacity and accelerate connections for vital projects like this.”

The first connection installed by the National Grid will see a new bulk supply point, two 132/33kV transformers, circuit breaker bays, and a brand-new 33kV switchboard. The project's second phase will see over five miles of cables laid between a bulk supply point in Bridgwater and a new substation on the Gravity campus. Work is expected to be accelerated, as the new route was laid several years ago during the earliest phases of the project.

The battery factory is the latest in a number of significant investments in the National Grid network to supply the green technology industry, with EV battery production at the heart of it. With the increasing demand for electricity from industry, the National Grid’s engineering network is rapidly expanding to support the UK’s green transition.

Currently, it’s expected that overall electricity demand from industry will increase by 30% in the next decade, which is a capacity the National Grid cannot hope to support without significant investment.