Contractors appointed to build new electric car battery gigafactory near Nissan

Envision AESC submitted plans for the gigafactory, which will be built at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP), as part of a £1billion partnership with Nissan and Sunderland City Council to create an electric vehicle hub supporting the next generation of electric vehicle production.

Plans for the factory were submitted in July.

Now the Wates Group and Turner & Townsend have been appointed to lead the design and project manage the building work.

Wates will develop an adaptable design that provides the infrastructure to support battery production by 2024, while Turner & Townsend will act as the project manager and cost manager.

Planning permission was granted in October for the factory, which represents an initial 9GWh plant with potential future-phase investment by Envision AESC of £1.8billion, which will create 4,500 new high-value green jobs in the region by 2030.

As part of the design process, Wates is already engaging with local supply chain partners, seeking their input on areas ranging from clean utilities to fire protection services.

Chris Caygill, Managing Director of the Envision AESC battery plant, said: “Envision AESC is pleased to be working with both Wates Group and Turner & Townsend as key partners in this next stage of our UK gigafactory development.

"Each brings unique strengths to the project that will help deliver a world-class battery manufacturing facility essential to helping the UK automotive industry transition to a fully electrified future.

“We pride ourselves particularly on the safety record of our batteries, which continually achieve zero critical incidents in new product and process designs. Together with smart, digitally integrated clean energy generation, storage and use in our battery plants, we are supporting the global transition towards net zero carbon energy targets.”

Paul Dodsworth, Regional Managing Director of Wates Construction in the North, added: “We are committed to creating new opportunities for the local people that need it most, investing in education, jobs and skills, as well as local businesses, to put the city and its residents at the heart of the electric car revolution.”

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of our news and sport, see fewer ads, experience faster load times, test your brain with daily puzzles and get access to exclusive newsletters.

Your support for our journalism means we can continue telling Sunderland’s stories for generations to come. Click here to subscribe - and click here to get a snapshot of the Echo’s news and sport to your inbox through our email newsletters.