Industrial Automation Magazine India

Tata Group to invest over £4 billion in UK gigafactory creating thousands of jobs

Published on : Saturday 22-07-2023

The new gigafactory, at 40GWh, will be one of the largest in Europe. It will create up to 4,000 highly skilled jobs.

July 2023 – Tata Group has announced that it will invest over £4 billion in a new UK gigafactory which will create thousands of jobs.

The UK has been chosen as the home of Tata Groups first gigafactory outside India, in a move set to create thousands of jobs and bring a huge boost to the UKs automotive sector.

Tata Group confirmed recently that the UK had secured one of the largest ever investments in the UK auto industry. The gigafactory will secure UK-produced batteries for another Tata Sons investment, Jaguar Land Rover, as well as other manufacturers in the UK and Europe.

The new gigafactory, at 40GWh, will be one of the largest in Europe. It will create up to 4,000 highly skilled jobs, as well as thousands of further jobs in the wider supply chain for battery materials and critical raw minerals, helping grow the economy and take forward the UKs commitment to net zero.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: Tata Groups multi-billion-pound investment in a new battery factory in the UK is testament to the strength of our car manufacturing industry and its skilled workers.

With the global transition to zero emission vehicles well underway, this will help grow our economy by driving forward our lead in battery technology whilst creating as many as 4,000 jobs, and thousands more in the supply chain.

We can be incredibly proud that Britain has been chosen as home to Tata Groups first gigafactory outside India, securing our place as one of the most attractive places to build electric vehicles.

Mr N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, said: The Tata Group is deeply committed to a sustainable future across our business.

Today, I am delighted to announce the Tata Group will be setting up one of Europes largest battery cell manufacturing facilities in the UK. Our multi-billion-pound investment will bring state-of-the-art technology to the country, helping to power the automotive sectors transition to electric mobility, anchored by our own business, JLR.

With this strategic investment, the Tata Group further strengthens its commitment to the UK, alongside our many companies operating here across technology, consumer, hospitality, steel, chemicals, and automotive.

I also want to thank His Majestys Government, which has worked so closely with us to enable this investment.

The investment of over £4 billion represents a historic moment for the UKs growing electric vehicles industry. The new gigafactory will supply JLRs future battery electric models including the Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar brands, with the potential to also supply other car manufacturers. Production at the new gigafactory is due to start in 2026.

This investment will be crucial to boosting the UKs battery manufacturing capacity needed to support the electric vehicle industry in the long term. With an initial output of 40GWh it will also provide almost half of the battery production that the Faraday Institution estimates the UK will need by 2030.