Coventry Airport closing to make way for battery manufacturing and technology hub
Operators The Rigby Group announced the site in Bagington will close in June to allow the next phase of work on Greenpower Park, part of the planned Coventry and Warwick Gigapark, following approval of a revised planning application.
Group CEO Stephen Rigby (seated) with Chairman Sir Peter Rigby
A £23million funding package to support the first phase of development for Greenpower Park – the installation of a dedicated energy supply capable of supporting large-scale battery production – was announced by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) in January last year.
Plans to build an access road, begin demolition and construct a 30-megawatt electrical substation were given the green light by Warwick District Council, which has jurisdiction over the site as it sits just outside the Coventry city boundary.
Consent for the gigafactory was due to expire last March, due to difficulties in securing an investor.
Greenpower Park is billed as a ‘centre of excellence for electrification, battery technology and manufacturing’.
CGI: Greenpower Park
The location will be the first of its kind, aiming to provide a solution for battery research, industrialisation, manufacturing, testing, recycling and electrified logistics designed to foster the UK’s growing battery ecosystem.
The wider Gigapark project is being brought forward through a partnership between Coventry City Council, Warwick District Council and Warwickshire County Council.
Greenpower Park, its main anchor site, is being delivered through a Joint Venture between Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport Ltd.
Fully developed, the Gigapark could create up to 6,000 jobs in battery manufacturing and in the EV supply chain.
It is one of three key sites – alongside the Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor and Birmingham Knowledge Quarter – that will power the West Midlands Investment Zone.
On site and looking to the future: - Left to right: Mayor Richard Parker, Cllr Jim O’Boyle (Coventry City Council), Cllr Martin Watson (Warwickshire County Council), Philip Clarke and Cllr Chris King (Warwick District Council)
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Coventry City Council’s spokesperson for jobs, regeneration and climate change, said Greenpower Park had an important role to play in accelerating the UK’s transition to an electrified economy.
He said: “Greenpower Park will act as a catalyst for a fully integrated and globally competitive battery ecosystem at the heart of the United Kingdom.
It also forms a key part of our ambitious plans to turn Coventry into an Electric City, alongside projects such as Coventry Very Light Rail and our Strategic Energy Partnership with E.ON.”
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said: “The Gigapark is going to make the West Midlands a global hub for cutting-edge battery technology, paving the way for a new era of electric vehicle manufacturing in and around our region.”
Cllr Martin Watson, portfolio holder for economy at Warwickshire County Council, said: "The automotive sector is a major employer and driver of economic growth in the local area. We welcome this new investment that will accelerate the development of Coventry and Warwick Gigapark and give a significant boost to local supply chains and the regional economy”.
Passenger flights from Coventry Airport ended in 2008,