Coventry Gigafactory urges new Government to boost battery sector
Greenpower Park in Coventry is the UK’s Centre of Electrification and Clean Energy
Industry experts in Coventry are calling on the next UK government for more investment into its battery sector.
It’s said there is an urgent need to secure global manufacturers to meet the growing demand for electrification in the country.
Coventry-based Greenpower Park already has planning permission for a Gigafactory, which is expecting to attract global firms.
Richard Moore, Greenpower Park’s Battery Strategy Expert says the UK is lagging behind many other global countries, such as the US, France and Spain, when attracting multiple investors.
He said: "This is not the first time the UK has faced a resource crisis. We ramped up steel supply in the 1940s and 50s to build and replace military and civil equipment and can draw a parallel from this with battery cell demands today. And if we act now, we can still resolve the crisis.
"The UK has got to get its head out of the sand if it thinks it’s going to hit its battery cell targets. The government and stakeholders have been slow to react to battery cell supply demands. If the next government doesn’t take action, there will be a major risk to the security of energy supply, which will leave the nation in a perilous state."
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council said: "The current Government has made some progress, but we need the next Government to go even further to accelerate the UK’s growing battery sector. From automotive to energy storage, there is an urgent need to secure global battery manufacturers along with the associated supply chain to meet the growing demand for electrification in the UK.
"Electrification, across all sectors, is of strategic importance for the UK and it needs to be part of the next Government’s broader industrial strategy which will ensure that potential investors consider the UK in the future."