Agratas has confirmed our phased appointment as the official delivery partner for Building One of its state-of-the-art battery manufacturing facility in Somerset.

The multi-billion-pound facility near Bridgwater is set to be the biggest of its kind in the UK and by the early 2030s will contribute almost half of the projected battery manufacturing capacity required for the UK automotive sector. 

Construction delivery is in three phases. Building One comprises the design and construction of a new lithium-ion battery facility, ancillary buildings and site wide external works.

Work began recently on the steel erection, marking the start of superstructure works for the project. Steel installation will now progress over the footprint of the main building before the focus moves to the ancillary buildings and the following cladding and roofing works.

Construction update

July – September 2025

Construction at Agratas moves from substructure to superstructure elements with the workforce increasing to around 350 personnel on site. Facilities on site continue to develop to accommodate the increase in numbers and will continue to do so until the end of the year. Works include:

Provision of temporary offices and welfare facilities / parking and enhanced entrance works to manage future traffic flows.
Works on site include the conclusion of piling activities and associated foundations to enable steelwork to progress. These superstructure works will commence on Building 1 working north to south of the site.
Site wide infrastructure continues with construction of the main haul road and wider drainage and civil infrastructure.
Roof and cladding works will begin towards the end of the year.
Off-site facilities will be prepared to enable prefabrication of Mechanical and Electrical components, an approach which will reduce overall numbers on site in the second half of the construction programme.
Procurement activity also continues at pace for multiple building packages.

Social Value

The project’s Social Return on Investment (SROI) is a result of local employment, charity work, education talks and work experience programmes. Since the start of work on site we have been working towards delivering the following to contribute to the SROI:

Work placements
Local jobs
Careers information, advice & guidance
Qualifications whilst working on site
Educational programmes
Volunteering time in the community
Green skills training

We look to maximise social value on all of our projects to leave a positive lasting legacy within the communities we work with. At Agratas, this includes supporting both educational initiatives and businesses through partnerships locally within Sedgemoor, the wider county and the South West.

May 2025 STEM Activity

Sir Robert McAlpine and Agratas partnered with Somerset Sustainable Futures on a project which provided a group of Year Eight pupils with an insight into sustainability and green skills within the construction and manufacturing sectors.

The students were given an overview of construction on the development, in part through drone footage showing the scale of the site, which they found very interesting.

We are looking to build on the success of this initial event over the next 18 months with a further five sessions planned to help embed the STEM learning programme, informing and inspiring pupils at local schools, with a focus on green skills and career opportunities.

Successful supplier engagement day for Agratas

To maximise supply chain opportunities for local business, we have already held two ‘Meet the Supplier’ events. This was followed by an open meeting with Constructionline, an online platform that connects buyers and suppliers in the sector, to help local businesses understand the process of tendering in the construction industry. This was met with positive feedback and resulted in the establishment of a dedicated email for supplier enquiries, monitored by our Procurement Manager. The next step in our commitment to local businesses will see the launch of a supply chain portal which will allow firms to engage directly with our supply chain throughout the build.