The Big Battery Factory

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

The company’s efforts have now come to nothing. It collapsed into administration on Tuesday after funding talks failed, leaving a string of disappointed backers ranging from the FTSE 100 companies Glencore and Ashtead to the property investor Tritax, owned by investment group abrdn, which had committed to fund a battery “gigafactory” in Northumberland.

 

Some of the investors are sanguine. Britishvolt – with no customers and no ready product – was always “something of a lottery ticket”, said one, who joined before the Guardian revealed a funding crunch that forced Britishvolt to put the project on “life support” last summer. The bigger investors have lost millions of pounds, but not enough to make a material impact on their balance sheets.

 

It is the UK government that must now answer some big questions about the future of the British car industry. In January 2022 Boris Johnson hailed the “EV battery pioneer” for planning to create “thousands of jobs”. Less than a year later, Johnson is out of Downing Street, Britishvolt is bankrupt, and the future of the UK car industry is under serious threat.

[Canny lass]

Well, that went downhill at a fair rate of knots! It's just 6 months since they were shouting about the first material being delivered and now it's all over.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Surely the government has to step in and back a company to take over from Britishvolt?

The UK government policy on electric vehicles =

all new cars and vans must be zero emissions at the tailpipe from 2035. any new cars and vans sold that emit from the tailpipe must have significant zero emission capability (which includes some plug-in and hybrids) between 2030 and 2035. all new HGVs >26t must be zero emission by 2040.

 

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

 

 

 

Elon Musk and JLR tipped to bid for UK’s first gigaplant site after Britishvolt collapse

 

 

Elon Musk and JLR tipped to bid for UK’s first gigaplant site after Britishvolt collapse

EXCLUSIVE: Some of the biggest European firms in the electric vehicle (EV) industry are expected to turn their heads to the UK's northeast after BritishVolt filed for insolvency.

 

By JACOB PAUL

15:38, Wed, Jan 18, 2023 | UPDATED: 18:54, Wed, Jan 18, 2023

 

Elon Musk’s Tesla, as well as a host of other companies, may put in bids for a prime site for the UK’s first gigafactory (a major plant producing batteries for electric vehicles [EVs]) after BiritshVolt filed for insolvency, Express.co.uk has exclusively been told. A market source has hinted that major firms like Telsa, Tata (Jaguar and LandRover [JLR] owner) and Northvolt AB, could throw their hats in the ring as they compete to take control of the prime site in Blyth, Northumberland, where BritishVolt had been planning to set up a £3.8billion gigaplant. 

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1723018/tesla-jlr-northvolt-britishvolt-ev-gigafactory-blyth-northumberland?fbclid=IwAR1kFLNX6gKjGw92bmd3aOgztIB3S4mqHBsZAFd4Pv9miLApS0wUk7e8_X0

Edited January 19, 2023 by Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

It grates on me every time I read "Blyth"!

A aalwis thowt Cambois was in the Bedlington Shire!

Is tha summick aam ignorant of?[boundaries mebbe's?]

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

8 hours ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

It grates on me every time I read "Blyth"!

A aalwis thowt Cambois was in the Bedlington Shire!

Is tha summick aam ignorant of?[boundaries mebbe's?]

 

As far as I can tell from all the times the 'whole' factory has had a mention on the local news it is linked to the fact that the site is using the old 'Blyth Power Station' site for the gigaplant factory offices and therefore Blyth always gets the credit. The news reporters and the film crew even stand in the Blyth Market Place to report on the factory. 

The BBC NE News reporter has said Cambois, at least twice, when they have actually been standing in the Cambois field where the plant was destined to be built. 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2023-02-04/australian-firm-chosen-as-preferred-bidder-for-british-volt?fbclid=IwAR2VyyICvntVc2xIIIQsORt2zqaBVvefaA493wb47ZAvRtrhIAldgCMWKs8

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

[Canny lass]

There's hope yet, then?

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

4 hours ago, Canny lass said:

There's hope yet, then?

I expect, or should that be hope, the government will make sure it happens. 

The UK currently only has one Chinese-owned battery plant next to the Nissan factory in Sunderland, while 35 plants are planned or already under construction in the European Union

[Symptoms]

In an earlier post I said, "... what we need is for Amanda at the Toon to phone Big Mo in Saudi to come to the rescue, ..." - I know it was tongue-in-cheek but what about this as a solution (based on a recent article in The Engineer Magazine):

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content/news/kaust-spinout-will-extract-lithium-from-seawater

Big Mo buys Britishvolt then uses the seawater sucked-up the old powerstation outfall pipe to get the lithium to make the batteries.  You heard it here first - another bright idea from Sym.

Edited February 5, 2023 by Symptoms

[Vic Patterson]

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64754879

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

[Symptoms]

More of the same news from The Engineer Magazine today:

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content/news/uk-gigafactory-revived-with-sale-of-britishvolt-to-recharge-industries

Let's hope those long Aussie jump leads do the trick.

[Canny lass]

This is more exciting than Dallas and Falcon Crest put together! (Yes, I know, I'm giving my age away there!)

[Symptoms]

More like Emergency Ward Ten* or even Quatermass and the Pit**

For our younger viewers:  * = 1960s telly, ** = 1950s telly.

[Canny lass]

Now you're giving your age away!

[threegee]

On 19/01/2023 at 13:03, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

Surely the government has to step in and back a company to take over from Britishvolt?

...

That sounds like the right thing to do, but I don't think it ever works out in the end, Eggy.  I think you'll find that practically all the public money spent in Europe eventually goes down the drain.  It might produce a short term boost, but that way is the way to a crushing disappointments up ahead.

In case you think I'm too pessimistic about things, I'd simply say that I'm very upbeat about EVs and have now had one myself for over three years.  I follow developments very closely and will try to find a bit of time to update everyone as to what's really going on internationally and how I see the future panning out.  The media coverage on this subject is terrible, and we generally only get to hear what their big advertisers (often German motor companies) want us to hear.  Interesting to hear what others have to say.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

13 minutes ago, threegee said:

That sounds like the right thing to do, but I don't think it ever works out in the end, Eggy.  I think you'll find that practically all the public money spent in Europe eventually goes down the drain.  It might produce a short term boost, but that way is the way to a crushing disappointments up ahead.

In case you think I'm too pessimistic about things, I'd simply say that I'm very upbeat about EVs and have now had one myself for over three years.  I follow developments very closely and will try to find a bit of time to update everyone as to what's really going on internationally and how I see the future panning out.  The media coverage on this subject is terrible, and we generally only get to hear what their big advertisers (often German motor companies) want us to hear.  Interesting to hear what others have to say.

👍

[threegee]

Here's why it's not a terribly good idea to get into Lithium-ion battery manufacturing, and certainly not a good idea to build your community on it:

The price per kilowatt is currently driving down to below $100, and many plants now under construction won't be able to produce a quality product at the prices pertaining at the time they get into real volume.  That's at least three years, and more likely five or six.  If you've taken public money to build your plant, well.. it's not really your own loss, is it?

Best to avoid big gesture politics I think and concentrate on helping small local enterprise.  Just persuading local people with get up and go, not going, has a lot to say for itself.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

BBC News 25/06/2023 :-

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66012303?fbclid=IwAR1jPZp_3GpX9az83IUoOqU3lWU0819UpPnTWS2I-IKoBXmQNA0w4VzPm6k

 

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Money Laundering think ye..?...and as far as zero emissions gaan..a think tha living in cuckoo land!..a think they need ti invest in clean coal burning afore we get left in the dark!

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/business/britishvolt-buyer-hasnt-made-final-payment-administrators-say-4246883?fbclid=IwAR1FOfG2pGynH7YWYoz7YJCIXSs_86v0A22UnFj2dMtM_cwaZq1lhERDWhk

[Canny lass]

It's not looking good!

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Looks like the UK wants to reduce carbon emissions by less battery plants than the rest of Europe and more car sharing

[threegee]

On 26/06/2023 at 00:07, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Money Laundering think ye..?...and as far as zero emissions gaan..a think tha living in cuckoo land!..a think they need ti invest in clean coal burning afore we get left in the dark!

Coal is too valuable to burn.  It's an excellent source of hydrocarbons to make organic compounds with.  ...even those "evil plastics"!  This will become very apparent to future generations.