The UK EV industry is set to receive a major boost after Fortescue Future Industries announced today (19 June) its intention to develop an additional “state of the art facility” for battery and electric powertrain production in Oxfordshire.
Fortescue Future industries (FFI), which is the renewable arm of Australian iron ore giant Fortescue Metals Group, will develop the production facility in Banbury that, as the company stated, will “significantly expanding its UK manufacturing capability, supplying advanced batteries and electric powertrains globally”. The facility will bring around 120 new jobs to the area.
The facility will operate alongside FFI’s Kidlington factory, which is expected to open later this year. With the Kidlington plant set to manufacture batteries for heavy good vehicles, the Banbury site will complement this by also focusing primarily on the manufacturing of heavy industry, electric powertrain systems.
FFI confirmed that the plant will offer automated assembly for battery modules and packs, assembly of power conversion and power systems, as well as truck and train production support. The first prototype build is targeted for July/August 2023.
The site is officially set to open in 2024.
“With Fortescue’s investment, British engineering will be at the cutting edge of the green energy economy with WAE’s battery systems providing world leading technology to the entire global industrial sector,” said Dr Andrew Forrest, Fortescue chairman and one of Australia’s richest individuals.
“It is heartening to have the UK’s trade secretary today at our factory in Oxfordshire to support this message of British technology excellence for both its people and its highly attractive working environment.”
Forrest also declared in a statement that the expansion is “part of Fortescue’s commitment to grow its British presence through the recent integration of iconic British manufacturers WAE, formerly known as Williams Advanced Engineering”.
News of this expanded presence in the UK battery market could well be a major coup for the UK, after many were concerned that the UK could lose its “world-leading” status in the automotive industry ahead of the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle ban from 2030.
In particular, Fortescue’s considerable investment into the future battery industry should allay fears that the UK automotive industry is less attractive than the EU and the US. This is positive news for the UK battery industry after the hit it took when battery company BritishVolt collapsed earlier this year.
It did not take Fortescue long to capitalise on the failures of BritishVolt, with Forrest announcing plans for an advanced battery plant in Oxfordshire less than 24 hours after BritishVolt announced it had entered administration, as reported by Current±.
Back in 2020, the government also announced funding to support Scottish battery manufacturing alongside a host of other battery projects. The £49 million was designed to “pave the way” for a UK Gigafactory.
