UK EV battery gigafactory plans forge ahead with National Grid work

The multi-million pound project to establish an electric vehicle (EV) battery gigafactory at Bridgwater has taken another step forward with work starting with National Grid.

The EV battery production facility – run by Tata Group’s global battery business Agratas – is due to open in 2026 and aims to supply almost half of the batteries needed by the UK’s automotive industry by the early 2030s. 

National Grid has now started the engineering work to connect the UK's biggest battery factory to the grid.

National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) is building two interim 33kV connections which will power the Agratas site until a high voltage 400kV substation, built by National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), is complete. 

NGED president Cordi O’Hara said: “The Agratas battery factory at Gravity is set to bring thousands of skilled jobs and provide a boost to the regional economy, as well as pushing forward the electrification of transport across the country.

"This is a clear example of networks acting as a catalyst for growth and shows the benefits that upgraded networks can bring.

"We are committed to investing significantly in our network so it can deliver energy where it is needed for customers.” 

Site preparation at the Agratas Somerset facility is progressing steadily, with the project reaching a major milestone: the completion of all piling operations.

More than 16,800 piles have been successfully installed. Key infrastructure is also in place, including a dedicated construction access road and fully operational site cabins. In addition, groundwork and pile cap activities are well underway, marking continued progress across the site.

The battery factory is the latest major grid connection National Grid is undertaking across its transmission and distribution networks. 

On its distribution network, last year there were 42% more demand and 28% more generation connection requests than the year before. There have also been twice as many EV connections in the past two years than all previous years combined.

The connection of new demand sources, such as battery factories, is expected to contribute to an increase in Britain’s overall annual electricity demand from industry of around 30% between now and 2035.