Battery manufacturer AESC has officially opened its new gigafactory in Sunderland, commencing production nearly three years after construction began. The facility’s battery cells will be deployed in several applications, including the third-generation Nissan Leaf, whose local assembly also recently started at the adjacent Nissan vehicle plant.
At the start of production, AESC announced an initial annual output capacity of 15.8 gigawatt-hours (GWh). This figure exceeds earlier targets: 12 GWh at the groundbreaking in December 2022 and an original projection of 9 GWh from the July 2021 announcement. While the company has refrained from specifying capacity goals for subsequent expansion phases, discussions have mentioned potential scaling to as much as 35 GWh.
Located in close proximity to Nissan’s vehicle manufacturing operations, the new gigafactory is strategically positioned to supply cells for the Leaf model. Nissan began production of the vehicle one day before AESC’s plant came online. Besides supporting local demand, the Sunderland factory will contribute to the company’s broader supply chain needs.
This is not AESC’s first presence in the UK nor in Sunderland. Established initially as Nissan’s in-house battery division, AESC has produced cells on-site since 2012 for the first-generation Leaf and the e-NV200 van, though at a smaller scale of 1.9 GWh. Following Nissan’s divestiture of its battery unit, AESC now operates as an independent partner.
The new plant features the UK’s largest cleanroom, which AESC says enables the production of high-quality, cutting-edge battery cells. Once fully operational, it is expected to employ around 1,000 people—a fourfold increase in staff since AESC UK was founded in 2019. Recruitment is ongoing to fill remaining positions.
AESC UK Plant Director Jim Marley described the gigafactory as a significant advance in battery technology that will power the latest Nissan Leaf and support the electrification of the British automotive industry. On the same day, Volkswagen’s battery subsidiary PowerCo also began series production at its Salzgitter gigafactory in Germany.
Source: Electrive
