Agratas, Tata Group’s global battery business, is preparing to build a £4bn battery cell manufacturing facility across 300 acres of the Gravity Smart Campus in Puriton, near Bridgwater. The site is a former Royal Ordnance Factory.
Sir Robert McAlpine has been lined up as main contractor for the first of the three buildings that are planned.
Agratas said that McAlpine had performed well across the board in the tender process in relation to cost, capability, experience, sustainability and collaborative working and therefore has been awarded a pre-construction services agreement for Building One.
Building One and ancillary development comprises 244,710 sqm GEA of built area (more than 35% bigger than Wembley Stadium).
McAlpine will now start preparations for the development, which is scheduled to be operational in 2026. Preparatory works have been under way at the site for several months already, with piling for Building One expected to commence in the coming weeks. Back in February Kelston Sparks was awarded a two-year contract for groundworks, earthworks and piling mat installation contract.
As previously reported, Stantec will provide architecture, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and civil engineering services, as well as risk management, planning compliance, BIM management and landscape architecture.
Once all phases of construction are complete, the facility is set to be the biggest of its kind in the UK and by the early 2030s should contribute almost half of the projected battery manufacturing capacity required for the UK automotive sector.
Agratas vice president for capital projects Joe Hibbert said: “The beginning of this partnership with Sir Robert McAlpine is another pivotal moment for our nationally significant project. The team brings an unrivalled commitment to technical excellence, client service, sustainability and exemplary project delivery, and most importantly, they live and breathe our shared vision of placing community at the heart of everything we do.”
Sir Robert McAlpine managing director for buildings Grant Findlay added: “Across our 155-year history, have always been at the forefront of industrial change in the UK. This is why we are proud to be working with Agratas as its preferred delivery partner.”
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