Wates and Turner & Townsend to design and project manage build of £450 million car battery gigafactory

The Wates Group and Turner & Townsend have been appointed by Envision AESC to lead the design and project manage the build of its advanced car battery gigafactory at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP), which spans 50 hectares of land in South Tyneside and Sunderland.

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

Utilising Wates’ expertise from across its integrated construction practice and Turner & Townsend’s experience delivering world-class battery gigafactories across Europe, Asia and the Americas, the team will work together to accelerate Envision AESC’s ambition to create a world-leading net zero carbon facility and achieve carbon neutrality across its operations by 2022.

The £450 million gigafactory will form part of a £1 billion partnership with Nissan UK and Sunderland City Council to create an electric vehicle (EV) hub to deliver the next generation of electric vehicle production at IAMP, and will play a critical role in decarbonising both UK manufacturing and transport.

Planning permission was granted in October for the gigafactory, which represents an initial 9GWh plant with potential future-phase investment by Envision AESC of £1.8 billion. This will generate up to 25GWh and create 4,500 new high-value green jobs in the region by 2030, with potential on site for up to 35GWh. This commitment will power Nissan’s new vehicles in the first phase and support the continued localisation of vehicle parts and components with advanced technology. 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, said:

“The Envision project is helping to build Sunderland’s future by creating a key location for national and international investment that will lay the foundation for sustainable growth in the region.

“We’re proud to be part of this story and its role in driving the Government’s levelling up agenda, and 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.”

Darren Laybourn, Director and North East Strategic Lead at Turner & Townsend, commented:

“Electric vehicles play an important role in the UK’s net zero and decarbonisation ambitions and it is great to see the North East powering the drive to a renewable future.

“Led by our team in the North East, we will draw on knowledge and expertise from across the firm to ensure this new facility will provide a state-of-the-art home for the future of UK battery manufacturing and a welcome economic boost for the region.”