Agratas, India-headquartered Tata Group’s global battery business, has confirmed that it will build a gigafactory on the Gravity Smart Campus near Bridgwater, Somerset, this week after “significant land holding” was acquired making Agratas the first and primary occupier on the site.
The 40 GWh factory is set to be the biggest battery factory in the country and by the early 2030s will contribute almost half of the projected battery manufacturing capacity required for the UK automotive sector.
To realise the transformative potential of the gigafactory, Agratas will work closely with local and regional partners, including Somerset Council, Bridgwater and Taunton College, and the wider Gravity Smart Campus, to deliver bespoke education and training programmes in the region, creating local jobs for local people.
The factory itself will create up to 4,000 new high-skilled green tech jobs in the area, with many thousands more expected to be created in the UK supply chain. Thousands of residents living near the site of the future gigafactory campus are set to receive a leaflet through the post this week, introducing Agratas to the community. In addition to providing insight into Agratas’ plans, the leaflet invites people to follow Agratas’ community WhatsApp channel for regular updates on the site’s progress.
As part of a community-first approach, Agratas will also hold an introductory event in the coming weeks for local residents to learn more about Agratas’ plans and meet the team.
Tom Flack, CEO, Agratas, said: “Our multi-billion-pound investment will bring state-of-the-art technology to Somerset, helping to supercharge Britain’s transition to electric mobility whilst creating thousands of jobs in the process.
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“We care deeply about the communities we operate in, so it’s imperative to us that we work with, and listen to, our new neighbours as we build our factory in Somerset. That’s why we’ll be holding an event for local residents very soon, so we can share more about our plans and introduce our team to the community.”
Preliminary works on the site are in progress, with piling to establish the factory’s foundations set to start in Spring.
Construction will be completed in phases, with battery production set to begin in 2026. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Tata Motors will be Agratas’ first customers. Agratas also plans to create batteries for other applications, including two-wheelers and commercial vehicles, as well as commercial energy storage solutions.
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The news follows an announcement made by Tata Group last year that it would establish Agratas, a new subsidiary, and that the UK would be home to the company’s first gigafactory outside India.
Derived from the Sanskrit word agra, the world’s oldest language, the new company name stands for leadership and moving forward when combined with the English word Gravitas.