Major construction milestone reached at Agratas battery facility

Agratas, Tata Group’s global battery business, has announced the successful completion of the steel frame for its new facility in Bridgwater, Somerset. The news marks a key construction milestone and a significant step forward in the delivery of the Stantec-supported project.

Construction work began on the multi-billion-pound facility in 2024 and, once complete, it will be the biggest of its kind in the United Kingdom. It is set to play a crucial role in advancing clean technology and sustainable energy, producing battery cells for automotive and energy storage solutions.

An important step forward
The newly constructed giant steel frame spans 525 metres in length, 167 metres in width, and reaches 34 metres at its highest point, covering the entire footprint of Agratas’ ‘Building One’—the landmark first phase of the project.  In total, 23,000 tonnes of steel were used to develop Building One’s frame and its key ancillary buildings. A team of more than 500 people contributed to the complex operation, with all the steel frame sourced from the UK. Achievement of the major structural phase paves the way for the next stages of construction, which include external cladding, roofing installation, and internal fit-out.

“Reaching this milestone is about more than just beams and steel—it represents an important step in bringing this facility to life,” said Earl Wiggins, Agratas’ vice president, manufacturing operations. “It also demonstrates the momentum of the project and our commitment to developing world-class battery manufacturing capacity here in the UK. My continued thanks go to Agratas team members based both on site and working behind the scenes, and to our contractors supporting the build.”

The large-scale steel operation has been delivered by Agratas’ construction delivery partner, Sir Robert McAlpine, in collaboration with steel contractor Severfield, and the integrated design and engineering team at Stantec.  

A complex and critical project
“To reach this critical milestone within around six months is outstanding considering the scale and complexity of this facility,” said: Martin Dix, sector leader for advanced manufacturing, mission critical facilities, and data centres at Stantec UK and Ireland. “This is down to the hard work and dedication of the whole project team who have worked tirelessly to bring this building to life.

“The impressive pace of delivery was made possible by the carefully considered design choices we made early on. This has allowed us to respond to the developing manufacturing process design. It is an honour to be working on such a nationally significant project, and to demonstrate just how quickly we can deliver this new era of largescale, complex manufacturing facilities in the UK to support a greener future.”

A significant job creator
“This is another major milestone for a site that’s set to play a key role in our clean energy transition, delivering vital battery cells for EVs and renewable power, a central aim of our Modern Industrial Strategy,” said Industry Minister, Chris McDonald. “The use of 100 percent British-made steel in the construction of the factory’s frame demonstrates our steelmaking capability and competitiveness, and it's also the proper and responsible approach to steel sourcing by the developer. I look forward to seeing thousands of high-quality jobs created from this site in the years ahead.”

Recruitment will continue over the course of the next year—reaching approximately 1,600 people—to support battery cell production at Agratas’ Somerset facility. The positions will span operations, maintenance, quality, technical, engineering, and logistics functions.

Once fully operational, the overall facility is set to create around 4,000 jobs and contribute over £700 million in annual economic value to the South West region. Find out more information about Agratas. Find out more about Stantec’s work designing buildings for the advanced manufacturing sector.

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Media Contact
Calum Metcalfe
Stantec Media Relations
Ph: +44 1612 458904
calum.metcalfe@stantec.com