3 minute read - 28th march 2024
Plans announced for Greenpower Park in Coventry that could create £2.5bn inward investment and 6,000 jobs
Plans to place Britain at the epicentre of the green industrial revolution have taken a step forward with the launch of Greenpower Park in Coventry – a project aiming to become the UK centre of electrification and clean energy, and what project coordinators say, sets the stage for unparalleled investment in green electrified technology and skilled job creation.
With the West Midlands Gigafactory as its anchor tenant, the ambitious project, designed to foster world-leading collaborations between industry, major academic institutions and stakeholders to drive the UK’s ambitions in leading the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, has unveiled plans to create an end-to-end electrification and clean energy ecosystem at its Greenpower Park campus in Coventry – the only site in the UK with approved plans for a large-scale battery production facility with capacity for up to 60GWh – enough to power 600,000 electric vehicles and benefiting significant incentives associated with investment zone status.
Combining endorsement from nine local universities and a local business sector rapidly establishing itself as a leader in electrification and clean energy, the Greenpower Park campus will support the development of new businesses and manufacturing facilities with a unique package of incentives, combining investment zone status, approved planning permission and an unprecedented regional incentives package to kick start development.
Plans have been announced to create Greenpower Park in Coventry, a project aiming to become the major centre of electrification and clean energy in the UK / Picture: Greenpower Park
Greenpower Park is part of a public/private joint venture agreement between Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport Ltd. It has support from a unique alliance of West Midlands industrial groups, local government, and academic institutions.
With a strategic focus on electrification technology development and manufacturing, the centre aims to attract an inward investment of £2.5bn – creating 6,000 highly skilled jobs and placing the UK at the forefront of critical clean energy technologies – and is already attracting keen interest, with a number of Asian battery manufacturers actively considering moving to the site.
Located at the heart of the UK’s manufacturing powerbase, and with official approval already secured for a gigafactory with enough capacity to power 600,000 electric vehicles – the initiative will help establish the UK as a strategic centre for vital electrification and clean energy technologies.
Greenpower Park says it could support inward investment of £2.5bn and the creation of 6,000 highly skilled jobs in Coventry / Picture: Greenpower Park
Capitalising on a future workforce of over 210,000 local students enrolled in relevant degrees and vocational courses to meet the electrification sector’s needs, the project’s backers believe that Greenpower Park’s launch will prove a pivotal moment in the UK’s transition to an electrified economy, as well as a significant leap forward in battery technology development and sustainable manufacturing practices.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change at Coventry City Council, said: “In a decisive stride towards fortifying Britain’s position as a global leader in electrification innovation, the unveiling of Greenpower Park with the West Midlands Gigafactory marks a transformative moment for the nation’s net zero landscape. This ambitious initiative is not merely about setting the groundwork for the next generation of electric technologies and sustainable manufacturing practices. It is a clarion call to the world that the UK is open for business, ready to lead the charge in the green industrial revolution.
“With its strategic location, unprecedented financial support, academic partnerships, a ready-made skilled workforce, and oven-ready plans to build Britain’s biggest gigafactory, Greenpower Park is poised to become the cornerstone of the UK’s electrified future, driving forward our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and economic growth.”
