LONDON — Britain is about to host a multi-billion-pound electrical automobile battery plant from Tata Motors, the BBC reported on Wednesday with out citing sources, saying the Indian firm had chosen the U.Ok. as a substitute of Spain.

The boss of Jaguar Land Rover-owner Tata is predicted to fly to London subsequent week to finalize the deal, the BBC report added.

The British authorities’s enterprise division declined to touch upon the report. Tata Motors and its mother or father Tata Sons didn’t reply instantly to requests for remark.

The choice by the Indian blue chip firm would fortify the British automobile business coming days after main automakers together with Vauxhall proprietor Stellantis and Ford warned that looming post-Brexit commerce guidelines risked making it unviable.

Spain can be competing to host the plant, making any resolution to decide on Britain a serious win for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who’s beneath rising stress from carmakers to make the nation extra engaging.

Britain has fallen behind within the world race to construct native electrical car battery capability, threatening the way forward for the sector as a result of it requires heavy batteries to be constructed close to automobile manufacturing vegetation.

A scarcity of a home-grown battery sector would additionally threat tariffs on British vehicles beneath post-Brexit guidelines which can be on account of come into drive from subsequent 12 months.

As much as 9,000 jobs could be created on the proposed web site for the plant in Bridgwater, Somerset, southwest England, the BBC stated.