A new gigafactory in Sunderland is being built on behalf of Envision AESC, who are a Japanese electric vehlcle battery manufacturer. Wates have begun construction and the £450m project is the largest single contract that Wates has ever taken on.
When operational the new battery plant will have capacity of 12 GWh and plans to employ more than 1,000 people. The building will be 360 metres long and will cover an area the size of 23 football pitches.
The new factory will be AESC’s second in Sunderland. The gigafactory represents the future of green, automotive manufacturing nationally and this particular project forms part of a wider £1bn partnership between Nissan and Sunderland City Council to create EV36 Zero, an electric vehicle hub.