GS Yuasa making multi-million pound investment in Welsh battery factory

GS Yuasa is using Welsh Government funding of up to £2.5 million to form part of a multi-million pound investment by the Japanese based corporation in its production plant in Ebbw Vale. As a result, 105 new jobs and a further 360 positions are protected.

GS Yuasa is a market leader for a wide range of vehicle and industrial batteries. Their Ebbw Vale factory manufactures VRLA standby batteries that are predominantly used in Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems and other industrial markets. During the coronavirus pandemic these batteries also supplied power to the NHS Nightingale hospitals and other key medical projects.

The announced investment will fund a new assembly line for producing lithium-ion battery modules, with semi-automation of key processes also introduced at the base in Rassau Industrial Estate.

Andrew Taylor, Managing Director and CEO of GS Yuasa Battery Europe Ltd, said: “This considerable investment is great news for the continued development and growth of our industrial battery business across Europe. Our manufacturing facility in Ebbw Vale produces Europe’s market leading range of industrial VRLA batteries with a pedigree of high performance, reliability and quality established over the past 40 years.

“Our ambitious plans include the installation of new energy efficient production equipment to increase manufacturing capacity, renewable energy sources and the establishment of an assembly and R&D facility for state-of-the-art Lithium-ion battery modules. These will all contribute to GS Yuasa’s global policy of reducing carbon emissions and helping to build a more sustainable society.”

Since 1981 GS Yuasa is has been a key employer in Blaenau Gwent, and has been joined by a growing number of other battery related companies, including the likes of Envirowales, PMB Battery and Deragallera.