Successful projects will enable complete cell development to proving electrode manufacturing with novel materials at scale.
Three UK battery developers have been awarded £1 million in funding to support their scale-up journey from technological potential towards commercial capability.
The three project winners were announced at the Battery Cells and Systems Expo, at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, they are:
- Addionics
- AMTE Power
- Nyobolt
The small and medium sized enterprise (SME) battery developers were awarded the £1 million funding through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funded Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC).
FBC is a £541 million investment programme which supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK.
Addionics
Addionics project will utilise technology developed by Addionics for 3D current collector fabrication that has shown significant battery performance improvements.
The project will target complete cell development taking Addionics 3DCC material through mixing, coating, calendaring and slitting, up to cell assembly, formation and ageing. This will build on the success of their earlier Innovate UK-funded project.
AMTE Power
AMTE’s Power Cell Commercialisation (PCC) project will support their production yield improvement for the scale-up of their ultra high power (UHP) pouch cell in the UK.
The UHP cell is a potentially market leading lithium nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide (NCA) chemistry pouch cell, capable of up to 40C continuous discharge and 100C pulsed discharge, at an energy density of 150 Watt-hours per kilogram.
The project will also help to further develop and secure material and manufacturing supply chains for battery technologies in the UK.
Nyobolt
Nyobolt is commercialising ultra-fast charging, high power battery technologies for applications ranging from power tools to automotive and is currently scaling production to meet customer demand.
This project will optimise for quality and speed the giga-scale manufacturing at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) of Nyobolt’s electrode material.
Supporting UK battery industry
These projects will also enable UK competitiveness across the battery value chain by:
- supporting SME research and development for the scale-up of battery technologies within the UK
- supporting SMEs to access the FBC funded UKBIC, the UK’s national battery manufacturing development facility
- help demonstrate technologies at suitable scales to customers
- move UK battery innovations from technological potential towards commercial capability
- develop and secure material and manufacturing supply chains for battery technologies in the UK
The three projects demonstrate a balance between specific technical, market and business requirements. Moving battery innovation from technological potential towards commercial capability, these projects aim to ensure that the UK can meet its net zero commitments in the required timescale.
Innovative battery technology
Claire Spooner, Challenge Deputy Director for the FBC, speaking at the Battery Cells and Systems Expo at the NEC, Birmingham, said:
The UK is home to some of the most innovative battery technology companies in the world. For the UK to prosper from the transition to electrification, it is important that we not only develop the most advanced and highest performing batteries but that we also scale these technologies in the UK.
These projects provide a crucial next step in the technology scale-up journey for AMTE Power, Addionics and Nyobolt.
Utilising the world-class battery manufacturing facilities at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre will enable them to de-risk the manufacturing process of their innovations at giga-scale and prove technology performance to their customers and investors.
Developing the UK battery ecosystem
Naseer Ahmed, UKBIC’s Commercial Director, added:
We are delighted that the Faraday Battery Challenge is supporting these home-grown battery developers with access to UKBIC.
The creation of a home-grown cell supply chain is essential to the future of the UK battery sector, which is why this funding is absolutely vital.
Only by nurturing, growing and developing the UK battery ecosystem can the industry become truly successful.
Top image: Credit: xiaoliangge via Adobe Stock