Nissan supplier factory pledges more than 180 jobs

Nissan and its partners have announced it will open a new factory producing parts for electric vehicles.

The £50m deal between Japan Automatic Transmission Company (JATCO) and the government is set to create 183 jobs at the factory in Washington, on Wearside.

From 2026, electrified powertrains will be produced at the site in the International Advanced Manufacturing Park, which has a cluster of manufacturing businesses.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: "Not only will this boost our thriving auto industry, but it will help secure hundreds of jobs across the North East."

The company currently employs more than 6,000 people in Washington, but in November Nissan said it would be reducing production by 20%.

It was also revealed it would cut 9,000 jobs around the world, but it did not specify where.

The firm has a long history in the Sunderland area having opened a plant in the 1980s.

Tomoyoshi Sato, chief executive officer of JATCO, said the venture was the firm's first in Europe and that "electrification [in the car industry] gives us a chance to become established [across the continent]".

Sunderland City Council leader Michael Mordey said the authority was "delighted to land the deal", which he told the BBC had been "in the pipeline for a number of years".

"These are highly-skilled jobs, it's brilliant for the area," he added.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said the decision to create the plant "underscores the confidence industry and investors have in the North East".

She also said the region had a "leading role" to play in the automotive and electric vehicle industry.

Minister for Investment Baroness Gustafsson OBE said the investment would "bolster the UK's automotive industry and support economic growth".

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