28 March 2024
Coventry Airport is to be the site for Greenpower Park – the UK Centre of Electrification and Green Energy – according to plans just announced.
The West Midlands Gigafactory will be its ‘anchor tenant’ but the plan includes a ‘clean energy ecosystem’. The gigafactory would have capacity for up to 60GWh – enough to power 600,000 electric vehicles.
Coventry Airport is the UK’s sixth busiest General Aviation airport, with almost 27,000 movements a year in 2023, despite its infrastructure being downgraded by the current operator.
Coventry Airport
Greenpower Park campus aims to attract investment of £2.5 billion and create 6,000 highly skilled jobs. Apparently, “a number of Asian battery manufacturers actively considering moving to the site”.
That could be Chinese company EVE Energy which makes batteries for BMW cars, said The Sunday Times last weekend.
However, recent government announcements regarding alleged and potential hostile actions by China will make such investment politically difficult.
Nonetheless, local politicians are delighted.
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.
Oddly, the graphics issued by Greenpower Park still show aeroplanes in the foreground. Where will they operate from?
“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.”
According to the official statement, 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.
This alliance includes the West Midlands Combined Authority, Warwick District Council, Warwickshire County Council, Rugby Council, Warwick Manufacturing Group at University of Warwick, Coventry University, and the Manufacturing Technology Centre.
