Agratas celebrates milestone with topping out ceremony

Agratas has celebrated a significant milestone in the development of its UK manufacturing facility, marking the topping out of the steel structure for Building One at its Bridgwater site on the 19 March 2026.

Although the steels were completed in late January, the British weather had other plans. True to tradition, the ceremony was held once conditions improved, allowing more 200 people, including partners, contractors, and the Agratas team, to safely gather on site and mark the achievement.

We were appointed as the official delivery partner for the project in July 2024.

The first steel on site went up in June 2025, meaning the steels for Building One took seven months to complete. For many months, the landscape was completely flat, it was a blank canvas awaiting transformation. Now, a giant steel frame spans 525 metres in length, 167 metres in width and reaches 34 metres at its highest point.

The land itself carries a rich history. Once a munitions factory during World War Two, the site later sat dormant until Gravity acquired it and began initial groundworks. Agratas purchased the land in 2024, immediately accelerating development at pace and scale.

Since then, the team has driven more than 20,000 piles into the ground to support the structure. Today, the 23,000 tonnes of British-made steel, forms the skeleton of what will become a world-leading battery manufacturing facility. In the future, the space the team were gathered on will house the A Zone, where the electrode is transformed into a physical cell.

This milestone represents much more than construction progress. Building One will become the largest battery manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom, playing a vital role in powering the nation’s electric future. It will produce clean, green batteries, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, support the UK’s net zero ambitions, and contribute to a more sustainable future for generations to come.

Earl Wiggins, Vice President of Manufacturing Operations at Agratas commented: “Completing the steels for Building One of our facility represents more than just the final beam being placed. It symbolises the collective effort, precision, and dedication of every person who has contributed to bringing this vision off the drawing board and into reality.”

Craig Allen, Sector Managing Director, Industrial, Sir Robert McAlpine, said: "We are immensely proud to be delivering this flagship project as Agratas' official delivery partner. The ceremony was a celebration of all we have achieved to this point and a chance to recognise the successful collaboration from all project partners as we forge ahead with the rest of the programme."

The topping out ceremony also served as an opportunity to recognise the people behind the progress. Agratas extends its thanks to:

• Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM) – construction partners

• Stantec – design consultants

• Turner & Townsend – planners

• Steel contractor Severfield

• The Agratas Capital Projects team, with special recognition for Earl Wiggins, Garith Griffiths, Kass Olivier and Steve Clayton.

The next stages of construction include external cladding, roofing installation and an internal fit-out, evolving the building from a steel frame into a centre of innovation, productivity, and community.