Nissan and Envision's Sunderland gigafactory given green light

Japanese automaker Nissan and battery supplier Envision AESC, have been given the green light to build their electric vehicle gigafactory at the International Advanced Manufacturing Plant (IAMP) in Sunderland.

Sunderland City Council's planning committee approved the plans on September 6 as part of a plan to turn the North East of England into a technological development hub.

Read more: Nissan announces £1bn Sunderland gigafactory to boost EV production

Originally announced in July and expected to initially operate at around 9 GWh at maximum capacity, the plant could create over 750 new jobs in the region, while protecting hundreds of existing jobs at Nissan's Sunderland plant, and may help the automaker bounce back from the chip shortage.

It will also help give the company a head start for when the UK bans petrol and diesel vehicles at the end of the decade.

As the result of a £1 billion partnership between the two companies, the factory will help produce a "next-generation" electric vehicle model for the EU market.

It has also received £42 million in funding from the UK government.

Construction on the new wing is expected to begin in 2022 with battery production expected to commence in 2024.

Current estimates suggest the site may be able to manufacture batteries for over 100,000 EVs per year. Once complete, the site may also see further investment from the automaker totalling around £1.8 billion, bringing total capacity up to 35 GWh and up to 4,500 jobs by 2030, the companies claimed in a joint statement.

Part of Nissan's endgame with the plant is to locally source car parts, eventually bringing down the price of EVs in the commercial market.

The plant will also be powered by 100% renewable energy, the company claims, using a microgrid developed by Sunderland City Council while also deploying Internet of Things smart technologies to monitor and optimise energy use.

‘‘We are extremely pleased with today’s decision, which means we can get on with the important job of building the plant and recruitment to fully resource the project team", said Chris Caygill, the managing director of Envision's UK arm.

He revealed the team were "immensely proud" of the work done thus far and hopes to "lay the foundations" for affordable EVs in the UK.

Alan Johnson, the vice president for manufacturing at Nissan's Sunderland plant said: “We welcome the news that planning permission has been approved for Envision AESC’S new Gigafactory.

“This is a fundamental part of our EV36Zero project, bringing together electric vehicle production, battery manufacturing and renewables, and we’re all excited to see the progress being made.”

Sunderland Councillor Graeme Miller described the project as "hugely ambitious" and presented a huge opportunity for manufacturing in the area.

The local council hope this will inspire job creation in the area and to turn the area into a hub of innovation.

Read more: Looking beyond the semiconductor shortage

Councillor Tracey Dixon, the leader of South Tyneside Council, said: “This is a huge boost for the local economy, and indeed for UK Plc, part of a wider £1bn investment that will secure and create hundreds – thousands – of jobs.

“This is what we hoped IAMP would deliver when we embarked on this partnership with Sunderland City Council, and so, seeing Envision AESC’s plans advance is a vindication of our commitment to this important job-creating site.”

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