Consulting firm will deliver a wide range of services, including architectural and MEP design

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Source: Stantec

Tata expect the new factory to start production in 2026

Stantec, the global sustainable design and engineering consultancy, has been chosen to deliver integrated design services for Agratas. Tata Group’s global battery business is constructing a battery cell manufacturing facility on the Gravity Smart Campus in Somerset.

The new manufacturing facility comprises three buildings along with associated ancillary structures and is anticipated to generate up to 4,000 on-site jobs throughout the project’s lifespan, along with additional employment opportunities in the supply chain.

The factory will produce battery cells that will contribute to the UK’s energy transition and power electric vehicles. As one of the largest facilities of its kind in Europe, the project marks a substantial manufacturing investment in the UK automotive and manufacturing sectors.

Tata said that it and its subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) would be the anchor customers for the new factory.

Gord Johnston, president and CEO of Stantec, said, “The Agratas facility will be pioneering in battery cell production, addressing demand in the advanced manufacturing space in the UK head on, while benefiting productivity, the climate and the economy.”

Stantec will provide architecture, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and civil engineering services, in addition to risk management, planning compliance, BIM management and landscape architecture.

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Source: Gravity

A visualisation of the Gravity Smart Campus near Bridgwater in Somerset

Spanning 616 acres, the Gravity Smart Campus is situated close to Bridgwater on the former Royal Ordnance Factory, positioned between the villages of Puriton and Woolavington in Somerset. 

Stantec played a role in the selection of the site as the location for Agratas’ new manufacturing facility. Serving as a strategic advisor, Stantec led the Local Development Order consenting process. The firm has delivered various services, including engineering design, planning, environmental, technical services, and project management at the site.

Joe Hibbert, vice president of capital projects at Agratas, said, “We look forward to working with Stantec to design the UK’s largest battery cell manufacturing facility. Using state-of-the-art technology, our facility will power the transition to electric mobility and clean energy storage.”

Piling is expected to begin in the spring, with battery production forecast to start in 2026.