Britishvolt battery plant: Wansbeck MP says he has supreme confidence in plant

An MP has pledged to do everything in his power to make sure an electric car battery plant promising 3,000 jobs opens.

Labour Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery said the area desperately needed jobs amid reports the Britishvolt £3.8bn factory planned for Cambois had stalled.

Mr Lavery said the plant, on the old Blyth Power Station site, would "transform lives".

Britishvolt said its business plan had been "refocused".

The firm said it had had to delay the opening of the plant and "sharpen" its plans in response to the "global, negative economic situation".

The firm had originally planned to start production at the factory in 2023, but that was first delayed to 2024 and The Guardian reported last week that had been pushed back to 2025.

The BBC understands the firm is in talks with the government about accessing a grant to attract private investment.

Mr Lavery said: "I've got to be confident that Britishvolt will get this factory up and running and I will do everything in my power as a member of parliament to ensure that does happen.

"We need it so much to transform the lives of so many people in south-east Northumberland, bringing jobs and good wages, so I need to be supremely confident that it is going to happen."

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