2aa2a1de

Enabling the manufacture of next generation cell formats through design and process consideration

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:05:27 GMT

Enabling the manufacture of next generation cell formats through design and process consideration

Date delivered: 19th March 2026

Hosted by:

Aishwarya Chougule

CAD Engineer

Webinar description

In this session, Aishwarya Chougule, one of our CAD engineers, takes you behind the scenes of how UKBIC identified and selected the optimal cell formats for our Flexible Pilot Line (FPL).

She takes you through the different technical landscape and some of the key design considerations that eventually led to the selection of the tabless 21700 and 4695 cylindrical formats, a crucial step in defining the equipment requirements for the FPL, UKBIC’s newly opened line which is designed to offer a more agile and affordable route to market than our larger Industrial Scale‑up Line (ISL.)

Industry Minister opens UK Battery Industrialisation Centre’s new Flexible Pilot Line

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:30:02 GMT

Chris McDonald MP, the Minister for Industry, has today (12 February) officially opened the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre’s (UKBIC) new Flexible Pilot Line (FPL), which bridges the gap between lab-scale research and full-scale production for battery innovators and developers.

From the left: Sean Gilgunn (Managing Director at UKBIC), Valentina Gentili (Director of the Battery Innovation Programme) and Chris McDonald MP (Minister for Industry)

The FPL offers organisations a cost-effective and agile way to develop their products at the UK’s national battery manufacturing development facility in Coventry to support UK industry with rapid process development, feasibility trials, and early‑stage manufacturing.

The line enhances the centre’s ability to help organisations move from laboratory concepts to proven, industrially scalable products. Designed with maximum adaptability, it enables users to trial and scale a wider range of chemistries, formats and processes.

Speaking at the opening, Minister McDonald, said: "The new Flexible Pilot Line shows how government investment through our Industrial Strategy is helping UK innovators bring advanced battery technologies to market faster. By providing access to worldclass equipment at lower cost and risk, UKBIC is supporting high potential firms and strengthening the UK’s position in this vital industry."

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “The FPL further strengthens our offering to industry, giving start-ups and SMEs a great opportunity to bring their innovative chemistries and materials to us to prove at scale before moving onto our ISL for full commercialisation. It’s really the missing piece in the jigsaw of the UK’s battery ecosystem which can now go from laboratory testing all the way to gigafactories.”

Valentina Gentili, Director of the Battery Innovation Programme, commented: “The new line embodies the Battery Innovation Programme’s mission to accelerate battery innovation. By offering open access pilot scale manufacturing in a highly configurable environment, we’re enabling UK businesses to test their innovations, refine their technologies and make informed decisions before scaling up. It’s a resource designed to reduce risk, encourage collaboration and accelerate the journey to market.”

The FPL is the latest addition to UKBIC’s suite of battery manufacturing capabilities, which include the Battery Development Laboratory, which offers cell characterisation ability, the Cell Cycling facility, the Clean and Dry Zone and our established large-scale Industrial Scale up line, all of which can be used by companies to run their own projects within UKBIC.

To find out more about FPL, go to https://www.ukbic.co.uk/flexible-pilot-line

-ends-

Notes to editors

To arrange an interview or to request photography please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 628892

About UKBIC

UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing development facility, providing scale-up, laboratory expertise, and module and pack assembly, and helping develop skills to support the sector.

By bridging the gap between research and high-volume manufacturing, UKBIC plays a critical role in supporting the UK’s transition to net zero and strengthening its position in the global battery supply chain.

UKBIC provides state-of-the-art equipment, technical expertise, and training to help manufacturers and researchers validate processes, optimise performance, and reduce risk before committing to large-scale investment.

The facility offers both pilot and industrial-scale lines, enabling customers to trial new materials and processes under real-world conditions.

UKBIC also supplies its own benchmark products for component testing and delivers specialist training to develop the skills required for a battery-powered future.

UKBIC is uniquely positioned to tackle complex manufacturing challenges. With expertise in processing diverse materials and products, and access to a broad range of advanced technologies, its engineers bring a comprehensive understanding of issues that span the entire battery value chain.

UKBIC is part of The Battery Innovation Programme, a flagship of the UK Industrial Strategy, funded by the Department for Business and Trade and delivered by Innovate UK.

About the Battery Innovation Programme

The Battery Innovation Programme , funded by the Department for Business and Trade and delivered by Innovate UK, is a £452 million programme running from 2026 to 2030. It is designed to grow the UK economy by accelerating battery innovation and enhancing the nation’s global competitiveness across automotive, aerospace, off-highway, storage and maritime.

UKBIC designated an EAL accredited learning centre in battery manufacturing

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:46:34 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has been recognised as an accredited learning centre for battery manufacturing by EAL, the specialist skills partner and awarding organisation for engineering and manufacturing.

This accreditation builds on the recent EAL approval of UKBIC’s Introduction to Battery Manufacturing and designates UKBIC’s training delivery as meeting EAL’s high quality assurance and assessment standards.

UKBIC is now working with the awarding body to approve its full range of open access and tailored training programmes, which also include specialist modules covering electrode manufacture, cell assembly and other key stages of the battery production process.

The accreditation also enables UKBIC’s trainers to deliver EAL’s Level 2 qualification in battery manufacturing – a course co-created by UKBIC and EAL – and future battery manufacturing qualifications, including Level 3 which is now in development.

Jonty Deeley-Williamson, Head of Learning and Development, added: “This is fantastic news for us and for the wider battery industry. As an officially recognised EAL centre, we can now register learners for qualifications and benefit from EAL’s quality assurance, assessment processes and centre support services. This ensures training meets the highest possible standards and ensures that what we deliver is trusted by industry and aligned with employer expectations.”

Robert Stott, Senior Industry Manager – Engineering and Manufacturing at EAL, said: “We’re delighted to welcome UKBIC as an EAL Centre. UKBIC sits at the heart of battery innovation in the UK, and formalising this partnership creates more opportunities for learners and employers to access world‑class training aligned to real industrial needs.

“UKBIC delivers training in a fully equipped, industrial‑grade, giga‑scale environment where candidates work directly with real, production‑scale battery manufacturing equipment – not classroom simulations or pilot rigs. The type of hands‑on experience offered is usually only available within commercial gigafactories.”

In 2025, UKBIC and EAL jointly developed and launched the Level 2 Award in Battery Manufacturing, a qualification designed with direct input from UKBIC experts to provide learners with practical, industry‑relevant experience.

Organisations wishing to find out more UKBIC’s ‘off the peg’ training or needs based training should go to www.ukbic.co.uk/training or email training@ukbic.co.uk .

-ends-

Notes to Editors
To arrange an interview or to request photography please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 628892

UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing development facility, providing scale-up, laboratory expertise, and module and pack assembly, and helping develop skills to support the sector.

The facility offers both pilot and industrial-scale lines, enabling customers to trial new materials and processes under real-world conditions.

UKBIC also supplies its own benchmark products for component testing and delivers specialist training to develop the skills required for a battery-powered future.

UKBIC is part of The Battery Innovation Programme, a flagship of the UK Industrial Strategy, funded by the Department for Business and Trade and delivered by Innovate UK.

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) appoints Jason Watkins as its new Commercial Director

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 10:52:39 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the UK’s national battery manufacturing development facility, has appointed Jason Watkins as its new Commercial Director.

Watkins, who has more than 30 years of commercial experience, will be responsible for business development, sales, and customer project delivery, and will work as part of UKBIC’s Executive Team, reporting into Managing Director Sean Gilgunn.

“I’m excited to be joining UKBIC and to begin helping to commercialise our growing portfolio of tools to help the industry grow,” said Jason.

“I look forward to working closely with our partners, customers and the wider sector to unlock new opportunities in the battery manufacturing sector.”

Prior to joining UKBIC, Jason was Commercial Director for Prodrive Advanced Technology where he had responsibility for business development, sales and marketing, programme management, and growing revenues by transitioning from smaller R&D projects through to larger volume production programmes that also included initial R&D.

Watkins’ experience includes working as Global President for Test Services at Ricardo Plc, Head of Motorsport Business for McLaren Applied Technologies, and in various roles for Cosworth Group.

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “We’re excited to welcome Jason to UKBIC. His experience should further strengthen our relationships with customers and partners alike. Jason’s appointment reinforces our commitment to supporting industry and delivering meaningful impact to the battery development and manufacturing landscape.”

-ends-

Notes to Editors
To arrange an interview or to request photography please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 62889

UKBIC is the UK’s national battery manufacturing development facility, providing scale-up, laboratory expertise, and module and pack assembly, and helping develop skills to support the sector.

The facility offers both pilot and industrial-scale lines, enabling customers to trial new materials and processes under real-world conditions.

UKBIC also supplies its own benchmark products for component testing and delivers specialist training to develop the skills required for a battery-powered future.

UKBIC is a strategic delivery partner of the Battery Innovation Programme, funded by the Department for Business and Trade and delivered by Innovate UK.

Optimising Electrode Quality: Controlling Air in Battery Slurries for Superior Coating Performance

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:00:53 GMT

Optimising Electrode Quality: Controlling Air in Battery Slurries for Superior Coating Performance

Date delivered: 11th February 2026

Hosted by:

Dr Helen Walker

Senior Simulation Engineer

Webinar description

Dr Helen Walker from UKBIC shares some of the insights into UKBIC’s new white paper: Optimising Electrode Quality: Controlling Air in Battery Slurries for Superior Coating Performance, created from real life experiences and lessons learned at the UK's only open access battery development facility.

This webinar covers how we have developed models to predict degassing behaviour in slurries, provides an outline of the tools and methodologies developed to understand the underlying physics, sets out the modifications made to mitigate air entrainment, and identifies the best practices established to improve manufacturing yield and product quality during battery manufacturing.

Dr Walker has produced a more detailed whitepaper around the topic, which is available to download here .

UKBIC publishes new White paper addressing air entrainment challenges in battery electrode manufacturing

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:15:04 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has released a new white paper detailing pioneering work to tackle one of the most persistent manufacturing challenges in lithium-ion battery production, the air entrainment in electrode slurries during wet slurry casting.

Air bubbles introduced during slurry mixing and delivery can create defects in coated electrodes, ultimately compromising battery performance, reliability, and safety. In response, UKBIC, the UK’s national manufacturing development facility, has delivered a programme of research and engineering development to understand, mitigate, and prevent air entrainment at every stage of the manufacturing process.

The new paper outlines the methodologies, models, and equipment improvements implemented by UKBIC’s in house technical teams to address this issue.

The work spans process optimisation, formulation refinement, and equipment redesign, thereby demonstrating that defect prevention requires an integrated approach across technology teams.

A systems-level approach to defect reduction

The research combines physics-based modelling with experimental validation to better understand the mechanisms of degassing and bubble behaviour. This included:

Developing advanced models to predict degassing performance under different viscosity, density, and vessel geometry conditions.
Implementing targeted design improvements to slurry delivery systems to reduce air ingress points and minimise opportunities for air entrainment.
Refining coating parameters to ensure bead stability during slot die coating, supported by CFD and analytical modelling to define robust operating windows.

Key findings

The paper highlights several important insights for battery manufacturers:

Air entrainment is a critical manufacturing challenge, strongly influencing coating quality, electrochemical performance, and long-term cell reliability.
Understanding degassing behaviour is essential: while vacuum degassing accelerates bubble removal, its effectiveness depends on material properties and vessel design.
Formulation and mixing strategies matter: optimising solids content, additives, and mixing processes can significantly reduce viscosity and shorten degas times.
Equipment design is a major contributor: agitator geometry and slurry delivery system complexity have a strong impact on air ingress and degassing efficiency.
Inline deaeration and improved mixing protocols offer promising opportunities for future gains.
Coating stability acts as a final safeguard: precise control of bead stability is vital to prevent air entrainment at the coating stage.
Effective defect mitigation improves product yield and reliability, reducing defects and enabling more uniform coatings, a higher energy density, and longer cycle life.

Advancing UK battery manufacturing capability

Dr Helen Walker, UKBIC Senior Simulation Engineer and co-author of the report, said: “The findings demonstrate UKBIC’s commitment to strengthening the UK’s battery manufacturing competitiveness through process insight, practical engineering solutions, and collaborative R&D. The centre’s work provides manufacturers with clearer tools, models, and best practices to reduce defects, improve yields, and produce higher performance electrodes at scale.”

To download the new white paper Optimising Electrode Quality: Controlling Air in Battery Slurries for Superior Coating Performance and to listen to a recording of the webinar given by Dr Helen Walker, visit this page .

About the author

Dr Helen Walker is a senior process simulation engineer at UKBIC. She develops Multiphysics simulations and other modelling tools to advance process understanding, improve product quality and reduce wasted time and materials on the production line. Particular areas of model development include slurry degassing, coating, drying and calendering. Helen has 7 years of experience in manufacturing research working across industries such as aerospace and renewable energy, developing Multiphysics simulations to improve product performance and inform process design. She holds a PhD in Mathematics from The University of Nottingham.

-ends-

Notes to Editors
To arrange an interview or to request photography please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 628892

UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing development facility, providing scale-up, laboratory expertise, and module and pack assembly, and helping develop skills to support the sector.

The facility offers both pilot and industrial-scale lines, enabling customers to trial new materials and processes under real-world conditions.

UKBIC also supplies its own benchmark products for component testing and delivers specialist training to develop the skills required for a battery-powered future.

UKBIC is part of The Battery Innovation Programme, a flagship of the UK Industrial Strategy, funded by the Department for Business and Trade and delivered by Innovate UK.

White paper – Optimising Electrode Quality: Controllng Air in Battery Slurries for Superior Coating Performance

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:04:28 GMT

About this white paper

Recently, UKBIC has focused on a key manufacturing challenge: air entrainment in electrode slurries during slot-die coating. Air bubbles introduced during mixing and slurry delivery can lead to voids in coated electrodes, compromising battery performance, reliability, and safety.

To address this, UKBIC adopted a holistic approach combining process optimisation, formulation adjustments, and equipment redesign. This work included developing physics-based models to predict degassing behaviour, implementing design improvements to slurry delivery systems, and refining coating parameters to maintain bead stability.

This white paper outlines the tools and methodologies developed to understand the underlying physics, the modifications made to mitigate air entrainment, and the best practices established to improve manufacturing yield and product quality.

The authors

Dr Helen Walker

Senior Simulation Engineer

UKBIC

Andrew Robinson

Process Specialist El ectrode

UKBIC

We held a webinar about this white paper

Watch it here .

UKBIC’s ‘original’ Introduction to Battery Manufacturing Course given EAL Approval

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 09:49:42 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has announced that its Introduction to Battery Manufacturing training course has been formally approved by EAL, the specialist awarding body for high quality engineering and manufacturing qualifications and assessments.

The training course, which was first launched in March 2024 , is designed to give delegates a comprehensive introduction to battery manufacturing. It provides detailed insight into the manufacture and development of battery technologies, supported by firsthand access to UKBIC’s Giga-scale manufacturing facility.

Aimed at individuals seeking to deepen their understanding of the end-to-end battery production processes, the course is a stepping stone to more in-depth training offered at UKBIC.

Valentina Gentili, Director of the Battery Innovation Programme, said: “Developing people is a personal passion of mine. Initiatives such as the UKBIC Skills Programme, delivered in partnership with EAL, will help build the high-quality skills needed to strengthen the UK’s position as an attractive place to grow, innovate, and invest and I am pleased it has joined the wider suite of skills interventions the Battery Innovation Programme funds."

Jonty Deeley-Williamson, UKBIC’s Head of L&D, added: “Our Introduction to Battery Manufacturing course – the first of its kind in the industry – has proved hugely popular with both specialists and non‑specialists, and we’re absolutely delighted that it has now been formally approved by EAL. This recognition further strengthens the value of the course and the confidence delegates place in it. Delivered by battery manufacturing specialists with direct, hands‑on experience of Giga‑scale equipment, production lines and laboratories, it remains the only programme of its type delivered within a full‑scale battery manufacturing environment.”

Rob Stott, Senior Industry Manager – Engineering and Manufacturing at EAL, commented: “UKBIC delivers the course in a fully equipped, industrial grade, Giga-scale environment where candidates work directly with real, production scale battery manufacturing equipment, rather than classroom simulations or pilot rigs.

“The type of training offered at UKBIC is usually only accessible to employees of commercial gigafactories, giving participants fantastic hands-on experience of manufacturing at both scaleup and giga scale levels.”

Sean Gilgun, Managing Director, UKBIC, added: “High quality, industry aligned training like this is essential to ensuring we have the talent needed to support the rapid growth of the UK battery sector. UKBIC’s ability to offer hands-on experience with full scale manufacturing equipment makes this programme uniquely valuable, and we are proud to see it recognised as a benchmark for excellence.”

In addition to Introduction to Battery Manufacturing course, the facility also provides a range of deep dives covering Module and Pack, Formation, Ageing and Testing, Cell Assembly and Electrode Manufacture. In addition to the off-the-shelf courses, we also tailor courses to the specific needs of individual organisations, mirroring real world processes to ensure that learning transfers directly into the workplace.

The newly approved course complements UKBIC’s growing portfolio of industry aligned programmes. UKBIC authored the EAL Level 2 Award in Introduction to Battery Manufacturing and Working with Batteries, launched last year as a foundational sector qualification, and also wrote the Battery Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship launched in 2024.

Together, these initiatives support the Battery Innovation Programme’s mission to develop national capability and strengthen the skills pipeline required for the UK’s rapidly expanding battery industry.

Dates for the 2026 Introduction to Battery Manufacturing training courses are16-17 March and 13-14 April. Further dates will be released soon.

Organisations wishing to find out more UKBIC’s ‘off the peg’ training or needs based training should go to www.ukbic.co.uk/training or email training@ukbic.co.uk .

ENDS

Notes to Editors
To arrange an interview or to request photography please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 628892

By 2040, the UK battery industry will require nearly 500,000 skilled workers across EV production, gigafactories, and the wider supply chain. According to the Faraday Institution’s UK Gigafactory Outlook 2024, four new gigafactories are needed by 2030, each requiring over 30 months to complete and ramp up to full output. More than 170,000 roles will be in EV production, with 35,000 in gigafactories and 65,000 across the supply chain.

UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing development facility, providing scale-up, laboratory expertise, and module and pack assembly, and helping develop skills to support the sector.

The facility offers both pilot and industrial-scale lines, enabling customers to trial new materials and processes under real-world conditions.

UKBIC also supplies its own benchmark products for component testing and delivers specialist training to develop the skills required for a battery-powered future.

UKBIC is a strategic delivery partner of the Battery Innovation Programme, funded by the Department for Business and Trade and delivered by Innovate UK.

UKBIC Brochure

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:24:47 GMT

Deep Dive: Module and Pack Assembly

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:29:50 GMT

Deep Dive: Module and Pack Assembly

£540 exc. VAT

This intensive one-day course is designed to provide an in-depth overview focussing on the process of module and pack assembly, with a look into how we produce modules and packs on our agile line at UKBIC.

Our deep dive training is run for groups of three or more on dates to meet your needs. If you enrol three or more attendees we will contact you to arrange a suitable date.

The course will run from 09:00 - 16:00: Breakfast is served from 08:30 and lunch will also be provided. Teas and coffees will be available throughout the session.

Find out more about the course details below.

One-day course

Deep Dive: Formation, Ageing and Testing

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:13:06 GMT

Deep Dive: Formation, Ageing and Testing

£540 exc. VAT

This intensive one-day course is designed to provide an in-depth, overview focussing specifically on the process of formation, ageing and testing.

Our deep dive training is run for groups of three or more on dates to meet your needs. If you enrol three or more attendees we will contact you to arrange a suitable date.

The course will run from 09:00 - 16:00: Breakfast is served from 08:30 and lunch will also be provided. Teas and coffees will be available throughout the session.

Find out more about the course details below.

One-day course

UKBIC installs British-made coater in its new state of the art Flexible Pilot Line

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:53:52 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has installed a new, small-scale coater, produced by British engineering company E+R (Emerson & Renwick), on its new Flexible Pilot Line (FPL).

E+R’s Genesis Air Mini coater accommodates low volume and speed prior to scale-up, enabling customers to achieve electrode coatings in representative roll-to-roll process conditions at a smaller scale.

The new small-scale coater will become an integral part of the FPL, which bridges the gap between lab-scale research and full-scale production, offering organisations a more cost-effective and agile route to market than UKBIC’s larger Industrial Scale-up Line (ISL).

Mark Field, Process Engineer Electrode, said: “We’re delighted to have been able to buy British with E+R’s coater, which will help us minimise clean-up between batch changes. That helps faster iterations and testing of new materials and formulations, which are a critical step in advancing and scaling up battery technology.”

Highlights of the coater include dual HMI screens which separate machine controls from metrology data for improved usability, a Keyence laser profiler, and µEpsilon CS2 capacitive sensor array for live readings of edge meniscus height and dry coating thickness to ensure there is unmatched process control.

The coater also offers significant flexibility with 120° rotation and ±5° tilt, supporting multiple coating geometries and tensioned-web coating modes with minimal change parts.

Andrew Jack, Sales Director of E+R, added: “We’re delighted to see our British made Genesis Mini coater installed at UKBIC. Our compact, flexible coater is designed to accelerate the development of next-generation battery technologies. By complementing UKBIC’s existing facilities, the coater enables rapid prototyping and process optimisation, helping manufacturers bring innovative products to market faster.”

The new coater, which is currently being commissioned, is due to be operational later this year. The installation of the coater on FPL complements the facility’s suite of new equipment installed at UKBIC, which includes the Battery Development Laboratory (BDL), the Cell Cycling facility, and the Clean and Dry Zone.

Future skills for the UK's battery ecosystem: A view from UKBIC's Head of Learning and Development

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:57:08 GMT

Future skills for the UK's battery ecosystem: a view from UKBIC's Head of Learning and Development

Date delivered: 8th December 2025

Hosted by:

Jonty Deeley-Williamson

Head of Learning and Development

Webinar description

Jonty Deeley-Williamson, Head of Learning and Development at UKBIC takes a look at the skills environment in the UK around the battery ecosystem: where are we now, what do we need and what's missing.

With new gigafactories being built in Somerset and Sunderland, this session explores the range of skills needed today and tomorrow to ensure the country has a skilled workforce is capable of meeting the demands of this emerging industry.

Groundbreaking British company first to use UKBIC’s state-of-the-art Flexible Pilot Line

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 15:51:59 GMT

Groundbreaking British company first to use UKBIC’s state-of-the-art Flexible Pilot Line

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has today revealed that Echion Technologies, which develops world-leading niobium anodes for Li-ion batteries, has become the first company to use its new Flexible Pilot Line (FPL).

The FPL bridges the gap between lab-scale research and full-scale production. It offers organisations a more cost-effective and agile route to market than UKBIC’s larger Industrial Scale-up Line (ISL).

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC’s Managing Director, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Echion onto the FPL as the line’s first user. They’re an exciting company and a perfect example of the sort of business that’ll be able to benefit most from the FPL.

“We’ve got more customers lined up – and expect the FPL to be very popular – and are looking forward to working closely with Echion as they look to develop their technology further.”

Echion will supply materials which will be used by UKBIC to manufacture anode based on Echion’s own design. Engineers from the company will work alongside UKBIC’s expert teams to see how the FPL can be used to speed up the process and reduce risk when helping them take their technology from pilot scale towards commercial production.

Phillip Johns, Head of Cell Development, added: “UKBIC’s FPL is perfect for our needs in that it’s quick, easy and comparatively inexpensive to produce anode at a scale we require.

“We’re excited to be the first company on the line and are keen to see what the FPL can do.”

The FPL is the latest addition to UKBIC’s suite of battery manufacturing capabilities, enabling quicker iteration and more adaptable electrode development for customers across the battery supply chain. These include the Battery Development Laboratory (BDL), the Cell Cycling facility, and the Clean and Dry Zone.

To find out more about FPL, go to https://www.ukbic.co.uk/flexible-pilot-line

Alternatively, to download the brochure, click here https://www.ukbic.co.uk/publications

Ends

Notes to editors:

To arrange an interview or to request photography please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 628892

UKBIC –

UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing development facility, providing scale-up, laboratory expertise, and module and pack assembly, and helping develop skills to support the sector.

With its Giga-scale equipment, and newly installed Flexible Pilot Line, battery technologies can be manufactured from electrode and cell materials through to battery modules and packs, providing the link between prototype scale, university-scale demonstrator lines, and mass production.

UKBIC has two house cell designs, a 21700 cylindrical and a 300 x 100 mm pouch, which customers can use as a guide to further develop and scale their own technologies.

The open access facility – which doesn’t take a share of our clients’ IP – has numerous capabilities, including a Battery Development Laboratory, a flexible Clean and Dry Zone, cell cyclers, as well as specialist, bespoke training programmes for organisations.

UKBIC is part of the Battery Innovation Programme, an initiative delivered by UK Research and Innovation UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and funded through the Department of Business and Trade.

Construction of the facility was part-funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority and was delivered through a consortium of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick.

Echion Technologies Ltd -

Echion Technologies LTD (Cambridge, UK) supplies its world-leading niobium-based anode material, XNO®, to cell manufacturers looking to build lithium-ion batteries with market-leading safety, cycle-life, and fast-charging capabilities. Batteries powered by XNO® can charge safely in less than 10 minutes, achieve high energy densities and a cycle life of more than 10,000 cycles.

The differentiated performance enabled by XNO® helps cell manufacturers gain a technical and commercial advantage in high-value, fast-growing markets where end-users require the highest safety, lowest total cost of ownership, and highest productivity. This includes industrial and commercial e-mobility markets such as rail, marine, mining and other off-highway vehicles, opportunity-charging e-buses and material handling equipment.

Technical details about the FPL

MIXING

INTENSIVE

Two independent small-scale lines

Mix Batch size: 15-40L (dependent on material densities)

Semi-automated material preparation and filling

Ability to handle conventional LIB solvents (up to low flash point materials)

Manual and automated slurry decanting

Degassing following slurry discharge

EXTRUSION

Maximum continuous throughput: 20L/Hr

Conventional anode and cathode slurry capability

Readiness for solvent-free development work

Use of Intensive mixing lines for semi-automated material preparation and filling

ELECTRODE PROCESS DEVELOPMENT AREA (EPDA)

Small-scale mixing equipment capable

Batch Size: 1-10L (slurry and ceramic mixing)

Roll to roll coater with 1m dryer for proof of concept, slot die development work

Continuous coating only

Maximum coating width: 305mm

COATING AND DRYING

Single-side coating with various coating technologies, including slot die

Maximum coating width (technology dependant): 290-305mm

Maximum foil width: 320mm

Unwinding technologies: Corona Treatment, two slot die positions, pre IR drying, foil and wet coat weight measurement, intermittent coating module

Drying tunnel: 6m in 1m zones using convection drying

Drying environment: fan and temperature speeds per zone individually controllable

Maximum drying temperature: 180°C

Humidity of drying air controlled by independent dehumidifier (ambient to -40°C dew point)

Rewinding technologies: QR marking, surface and dimensional inspection, dry coat weight measurement, cooling roller

CALENDERING

Roll-to-roll calender with heated rollers

Max electrode width: 430mm

Unwinding technologies: Electrode cleaning, edge trim functionality, pre calender web heating (IR and Induction), S-Wrap angle to calender via lower calender roll

Rewinding technologies: post calender web heating (IR and induction), surface inspection, web thickness inspection

SLITTING

Roll-to-roll slitting machine

Maximum electrode width: 500mm

LABORATORY

Performance assessment of FPL and ISL materials

Small-scale cell assembly

Available cell formats:

· 2032 coin cell (single layer)

· Multilayer pouch cell

· Cathode: 56mm x 43mm

· Anode: 58mm x 45mm

Battery Trendspotting: The View from UKBIC's Chief Technology Officer

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 10:07:19 GMT

Battery Trendspotting: The View from UKBIC's Chief Technology Officer

Date delivered: 17th October 2025

Hosted by:

Jonathan Smith

Exter nal Affairs Director

Featuring:

Richard LeC ain

Chief Technology Officer

Webinar description

In this exclusive webinar hosted by UKBIC External Affairs Director Jonathan Smith, Richard LeCain, UKBIC's CTO, shares insights from his time in the battery sector, while also future spotting.

With insights drawn from UKBIC's work with customers across the world and cutting-edge innovations which pass through the facility, the explores the evolving landscape of the battery sector, highlighting emerging trends and future trajectories.

Watch the recording below and grab a pdf copy of the presentation.

Advanced Module & Pack Assembly: Exploring UKBIC's Capabilities and Lessons Learned

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 09:58:03 GMT

Advanced Module & Pack Assembly: Exploring UKBIC's Capabilities and Lessons Learned

Date delivered: 5th March 2025

Hosted by:

An drew Britton

Business Development Manager

Webinar description

Gain an insight into the processes, technologies, and expertise behind UKBIC’s module and pack assembly line, and discover how we can transform any cell formats into modules and packs that are ready for installation or further testing.

Our Business Development Manager responsible for module and pack, Andrew Britton, talked through how our specialist staff can provide support at every level, from initial prototyping through to final assembly, end-of-line testing as well as design for disassembly. He also covered some real examples and lessons learnt at UKBIC.

Prediction of electrode calendering defects through finite element modelling

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 13:17:45 GMT

Prediction of Electrode Calendering Defects Through Finite Element Modelling

By Amin Zerfa, Henry Morton, Vishal Sharma, Helen Walker, Ameir Mahgoub

Bringing UKBIC's Flexible Pilot Line to Market

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 14:27:28 GMT

Bringing UKBIC's Flexible Pilot Line to Market

Date delivered: 23rd July2025

Hosted by:

Andrew Britton

Business Development Manager

Main presentation by:

Adam Dixon

Head of Flexible Pilot Line

Webinar description

This session covered all the details of the Flexible Pilot Line as it's in its commissioning phase ahead of opening later in the year.

Business Development Manager, Andrew Britton, hosted the session and newly-appointed Head of FPL, Adam Dixon, gave the main presentation. This was followed by a jam-packed, live Q&A session.

Watch the recording below and grab a pdf copy of the presentation.

UKBIC opens 800sqm specialist clean and dry zone for customers working in battery manufacturing, R&D, and industrialisation projects

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 15:22:30 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has opened its unique clean and dry zone (CDZ) which is available for use by cell developers, equipment manufacturers, and specialists working in the battery sector

Capable of maintaining the precise climate-controlled conditions needed in the production of high-quality, reliable cells, the 800m ² CDZ consists of five independent rooms which can be rented either individually or together for a range of uses.

The five controlled environment areas are ISO 7 clean rooms that use an air filtration system to maintain air cleanliness levels, and which have the capability of reaching minus 40°C dew point.

The flexible empty spaces, which range in size from 83m² to 245m², are three metres in height, with one room, having a ceiling height of five metres in parts to accommodate processes which require additional height. Access to each room is controlled by smart card to protect customer intellectual property.

Richard LeCain, UKBIC’s Chief Technology Officer, said: "We're delighted to unveil our clean and dry zone, tailored to meet the fast-evolving demands of the battery industry.

“One of the largest costs for cell and material developers is buying, installing and paying for the ongoing costs of keeping large areas dry. These dynamic, climate-controlled spaces are designed with flexibility for different customers in mind and offer the perfect environment for specialised testing, manufacturing, and R&D, enabling customers to increase their technology readiness levels without large outlay in capex and opex.

“The CDZ enable organisations to push the boundaries of innovation and efficiency in battery technology, supporting one of UKBIC's core missions.”

UKBIC is part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, which is a £657m investment programme which supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK. The Challenge supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK.

-ends-

Notes to editor:

To arrange an interview, please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 628892

UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing development facility, providing scale-up, laboratory expertise, and module and pack assembly, and helping develop skills to support the sector.

With its Giga-scale equipment, battery technologies can be manufactured from electrode and cell materials through to battery modules and packs, providing the link between prototype scale and mass production.

UKBIC has two house cell designs, a 21700 cylindrical and a 300 x 100 mm pouch, which customers can use as a guide to further develop and scale their own technologies.

The open access facility – which doesn’t take a share of our clients’ IP – has seen several new facilities introduced in recent months.

These include:

A new Battery Development Laboratory ;
A flexible Clean and Dry Zone;
New cell cyclers ; and
A smaller-scale Flexible Pilot line which is used for product development, validation, and commercial activities, which is due to come on stream later this year and which provides a missing link between our main line and university-scale demonstrator lines elsewhere.

UKBIC’s construction was originally part-funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority and was delivered through a consortium of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick.

Britain’s Battery Future at a Crossroads: Policy Commission launched to Power a Secure and Sustainable Economy

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 12:08:54 GMT

Chaired by former Defence Secretary, Lord Hutton, the new Commission will address the UK’s urgent need for domestic battery manufacturing across energy, defence, transport, and tech sectors

Lord Hutton has launched a Policy Commission on Gigafactories to support the UK’s ambitions for economic growth and sustainable industries.

This Commission brings together senior cross-party political figures and industry leaders with deep expertise in government, policy, manufacturing, energy and national security. Its members include three former Cabinet Ministers, and two respected industry experts – combining political experience with frontline sector knowledge.

The Commission will consult with stakeholders from across industry, government, academia, and investors, and will publish its findings and recommendations early in 2026.

The Commission will produce recommendations on how the UK can scale up its battery manufacturing capacity – a critical requirement to achieving net zero, generating economic growth and securing high-quality green jobs.

The Commissioners are:

Rt Hon Lord John Hutton (Chair), former Secretary of State for Defence
Rt Hon Greg Clark , former Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Chair of the Society of Chemical Industry, and currently Chair of the University of Warwick’s Innovation District
Dr Isobel Sheldon OBE , founder of Oak Polytech
Rt Hon Baroness Lindsay Northover , Member of the Lords Science and Technology Committee
Rt Hon Sir Oliver Letwin , former Minister for Government Policy and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, currently Senior Advisor to the Faraday Institution
Dr Ian Constance , CEO at Advanced Propulsion Centre UK

The Commission comes at a pivotal moment for the UK as the Government negotiates new trade deals and is expected to launch its Industrial Strategy in the coming weeks. From energy independence to electric vehicle production, national supply chain resilience to our trading relationship with China and the USA, the need for increased battery manufacturing cuts across many major policy priorities facing Britain today.

The Faraday Institution , the UK’s independent institute for electrochemical energy storage research, skills development, market analysis, and early-stage commercialisation, will serve as secretariat to the commission.

Lord Hutton of Furness, Chair of the Commission, said:
"Batteries are no longer just a tech issue or an energy issue – they are a national strategic imperative. The UK cannot afford to remain dependent on foreign supply chains for such a vital component of our economic and energy future. This Commission will ask the difficult questions and provide bold but realistic and politically deliverable recommendations to put Britain on the front foot."

Professor Martin Freer, CEO of the Faraday Institution, added:
"Britain has world-class battery science and growing industrial ambition. We are pleased to support this Commission, which is about turning that potential into national strategy – one that boosts jobs, strengthens our energy and tech sectors, and protects the UK's strategic autonomy."

Why Batteries Now? A National Priority on Every Front

Net Zero and Clean Transport
According to the UK Battery Strategy, by 2040, nearly 200GWh of capacity will be needed in the UK to satisfy demand for batteries for private cars, commercial vehicles, HGVs, buses, and grid storage. UK battery production is critical to the UK’s commitment to phasing out sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035. Without a domestic battery industry, this transition risks outsourcing jobs, technology, and economic value to global competitors.
Energy Security and Grid Resilience
Battery demand is not limited to vehicles – by 2030 grid-scale energy storage will account for 10 GWh of UK battery demand. Next-generation technologies like sodium-ion batteries offer safe, affordable solutions for static energy storage, helping the UK reduce its reliance on international supply chains and support the grid’s switch to renewable generation. Attracting investment in domestic battery production is therefore key to enhancing national energy independence.
Jobs and Economic Growth
A thriving UK gigafactory sector could create tens of thousands of high-quality jobs across the UK, including in the Midlands and North East. It would anchor supply chains, upskill workers, and boost regional economies.
Defence and National Infrastructure
From electric military vehicles to autonomous systems, battery tech is becoming core to the UK’s national resilience and defence capability. Control over supply chains is now a national security issue, not just a commercial concern.

The UK Critical Minerals Strategy explicitly links secure battery materials to national resilience. Reducing dependence on cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo and lithium processed in China is not only an economic imperative, but vital to ensuring a sovereign capability and military, industry and infrastructure readiness.
Trade and Global Positioning
The USA and China’s dominance in battery production have shifted the global playing field. Additionally, Europe is projected to have 1,350 GWh of battery capacity by 2030. And the UK needs to take decisive action, to establish a competitive gigafactory capacity and participating in international collaborations, to position itself as a key partner in European battery markets. The UK must urgently define its own strategy – both to attract investment and to maintain leverage in trading relationships.

Exploring UKBIC's Cell Cycling, Formation and Ageing, Testing, and End of Life testing capabilities

Thu, 29 May 2025 13:45:52 GMT

Exploring UKBIC's Cell Cycling, Formation and Ageing, Testing, and End of Life testing capabilities

Date delivered: 21st May 2025

Hosted by:

Richard Lockwood

Business Development Manager

Main presentation by:

Kenneth Nwanoro

Senior Modelling & Simulation Engineer

Webinar description

This 45-minute session, hosted by Kenneth Nwanoro, UKBIC's Senior Modelling & Simulation Engineer, introduced the cutting-edge processes that UKBIC uses to advance battery technology.

Whether you’re an industry professional, researcher, or someone interested in the latest battery innovations, this webinar offers a unique opportunity to explore the pivotal stages of battery development, from cell cycling and formation through to ageing, testing, and end-of-life assessment.

Kenneth guided the presentation, providing valuable insights into UKBIC's new cycling capabilities, as well as our formation and ageing, testing, and end of life test capabilities and the vital role they play in the UK's battery revolution. The session was hosted by Richard Lockwood, one of UKBIC's Business Development Managers.

Note: We apologise for some of the damaged sound during this recording.

Exploring UKBIC's Electrochemical and Process Simulation Capabilities webinar

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:38:21 GMT

Exploring UKBIC's Electrochemical and Process Simulation Capabilities

Date delivered: 9 th April 2025

Hosted by:

Robert Wingrave

Business Development Manager

Main presentation by:

Kenneth Nwanoro

Senior Modelling & Simulation Engineer

Main presentation by:

Helen Walker

Simulation Engineer

Webinar description

This session, hosted by our Business Development Manager, Robert Wingrave, Kenneth Nwanoro, Senior Modelling & Simulation Engineer, and Helen Walker, Simulation Engineer, explored the electrochemical and process simulation models available to customers of UKBIC.

They discussed how we can offer ready-to-use models and develop bespoke tools for advanced analysis. They also spoke about how our models can simulate a range of battery manufacturing processes to help customers better understand not only what might happen but why it happens.

Altilium and UKBIC announce successful production of UK's first EV battery cells made from recycled materials

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 09:00:12 GMT

March 18th, 2025 – Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group focused on supporting the transition to net zero, is pleased to announce the successful production of the UK’s first EV battery cells using recycled cathode active materials (CAM) at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the UK’s national battery manufacturing scale-up facility.

The breakthrough marks the first time that recycled materials have been used to produce new battery cells in an industrial environment in the UK and marks an important step towards the development of a circular economy for EV batteries.

The pouch cells were manufactured at UKBIC's state-of-the-art facility in Coventry using Altilium’s recycled EcoCathode™ NMC 811-2036 CAM, produced at its recycling facilities in Devon. By recovering these critical metals from end-of-life EV batteries and Gigafactory waste, Altilium is not only reducing the UK’s reliance on imported raw materials, but also cutting the carbon footprint of battery manufacturing, making EVs even greener.

The battery cells will now undergo comprehensive validation studies with a leading automotive OEM, supporting their regulatory and sustainability targets. Under the EU’s Battery Regulations, new EV batteries sold into the EU will need to contain minimum levels of recycled lithium, nickel and cobalt from 2031, with further increases in 2036. Altilium’s battery cells are the first to be manufactured in the UK complying with the new regulations.

The recycling process begins with the dismantling and shredding of end-of-life EV batteries to produce a fine powder know as black mass. This black mass is then processed using Altilium’s EcoCathode™ process, which is able to recover over 95% of the critical battery metals, including lithium. The cathode metals are then upcycled to produce a high-nickel NMC 811 CAM, ready for re-use in a new battery.

Dr Christian Marston, Altilium co-founder and COO, commented: “This milestone marks the first time full battery circularity has been achieved in the UK, from recovering critical minerals, including lithium, from end-of-life EV batteries and upcycling them into a high-performance cathode, to manufacturing a new battery for validation with a leading UK automotive OEM. Through this collaboration with UKBIC, we are moving beyond the emerging black mass recycling industry and ensuring that these critical battery materials remain in the domestic supply chain. Having access to a manufacturing facility like this allows us to scale up and develop this innovative work, which is helping to position the UK at the forefront of sustainability and decarbonisation.”

Ameir Mahgoub, UKBIC’s Head of Product Engineering, added: “We're delighted to have been part of the team creating the UK's first battery cells made using CAM containing recycled material. This pioneering project could be just the start of a journey that sees the UK becoming less reliant on imported materials and create a new market in recycled EV batteries. We look forward to collaborating with Altilium on this exciting project as they take it forward.”

By demonstrating at-scale manufacturing of battery cells using recycled CAM, the collaboration with UKBIC is helping to advance commercialisation of Altilium's technology, paving the way for supply deals with automotive OEMs and battery manufacturers and de-risking investment in further scale-up, including construction of the UK’s largest planned commercial plant for EV battery recycling and CAM production.

Altilium's planned ACT4 recycling plant in Teesside will have capacity to produce 30,000 tonnes of CAM a year – enough to meet nearly 20% of expected UK demand by 2030.

The scale up of Altilium’s recycling operations will also deliver wider benefits for the UK economy and the environment. By developing a domestic, sustainable source of battery raw materials, Altilium is helping to meet the growing demands of new green industries, such as EV manufacturing, while reducing the UK’s reliance on mined raw materials and supporting the transition to net zero.

Independent analysis of Altilium’s recycled materials has already revealed improvements in quality compared to mined materials, as well as significant reductions in climate change impact and cost:

According to research carried out by Imperial College London, Altilium’s recycled EV battery materials can match, and even surpass, the performance of virgin mined materials, enabling longer battery life, faster charging times and lower costs.
Lifecycle analysis (LCA) by Minviro has found that cathode materials produced using Altilium’s recycled materials could be up to 74% lower in climate change impact compared to using primary mined materials from a Chinese supply chain.

About Altilium

Altilium is a UK-based clean tech group that will reshape the UK and European automotive supply chain by offering high volume, low carbon domestic sources of cathode and anode materials from recycling waste streams already in circulation, such as end-of-life batteries.

The company’s proprietary EcoCathode™ process converts end-of-life EV batteries and manufacturing scrap into domestic, sustainable, battery precursors, cathode active materials (CAM) and cathode precursor (pCAM) for direct reuse in new batteries.

Altilium’s first mini-commercial plant recently commenced operations in Plymouth while its planned Teesside plant will be one of the largest EV battery recycling facilities in Europe. The plant will have the capacity to process scrap from over 150,000 EVs per year, producing 30,000 MT of CAM, enough to meet around 20% of the UK’s expected needs by 2030.

The company is backed by SQM Lithium Ventures, the corporate venture arm of the lithium business of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM), and Japanese trading and investment group Marubeni Corporation.

For more information go to www.altilium.tech

For media inquiries contact Dominic Schreiber: dominic@altilium.tech

About UKBIC

UKBIC is the UK’s £200m national manufacturing battery development facility, providing manufacturing scale-up and skills for the battery sector.

The purpose-built facility is where businesses develop their battery manufacturing processes at the scale they need to move to industrial production and where those working in the industry can develop new skills by working on the production line, alongside UKBIC’s specialist teams.

Created with an initial investment of £130m, an additional £74m has now been committed by UK Research and Innovation to enhance the facility by installing a new pilot line to bridge the gap between UKBIC’s larger scale offering and small-scale demonstrators available elsewhere. Funding is also being used to support the construction of a new battery development laboratory, a clean and dry zone, and cell cyclers.

Opened in July 2021, the Coventry-based facility can be accessed by organisations with existing or new battery technology, or companies looking at entering the industry. UKBIC doesn’t retain customer IP.

UKBIC’s construction was part-funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority and was delivered through a consortium of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick.

2025 in Focus for the Faraday Battery Challenge

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 10:11:00 GMT

Ben Walsh and Thomas Bartlett, Co-Interim Faraday Battery Challenge Directors, Innovate UK, Martin Freer, CEO, Faraday Institution, Sean Gilgunn, Managing Director, UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, lay out their thoughts for the Faraday Battery Challenge in 2025 as it builds for the future.

As we approach a new financial year, we’d like to let UK industry partners know what to expect from the Faraday Battery Challenge in 2025, how we’re keeping momentum going, and the various ways and places you can connect with us.

We are working hard with Government to establish the next phase of the programme to support battery innovation in the UK. In the meantime, funding is still available for UK battery innovators .

The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) has a call open for late stage, automotive collaborative R&D projects until 14th March 2025. APC and Zenzic are also partnering on a new business accelerator – Mobilise – to provide opportunities for ambitious SMEs developing zero-emission and connected and automated mobility technologies, products, services or solutions. Applications close 19 March. The APC runs zero-emission vehicle funding competitions throughout the year, so please check their website for updates.

The Faraday Institution continues to consider applications for Industry Sprint projects , Industry Fellowships and Entrepreneurial Fellowships . Sprints aim to solve a commercially relevant research opportunity identified by an industrial partner. Entrepreneurial fellowships support start-ups looking to create new businesses and commercialise battery technologies by providing seed funding, business support and mentoring.

Building for the Future

There is a lot going on in 2025. UKRI’s Faraday Battery Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, is using this period to build programmes for the future, with the aims of delivering value to the UK and supporting the battery supply chain in the face of global competition.

Construction of the Flexible Pilot Line at UKBIC is well underway and industry days are being planned where organisations can come and learn more about the facility. Customers will be able to use the new line, which is due to be operational later this year, to undertake early-stage optimisation cycles and production trials at a smaller scale than UKBIC’s existing volume line, facilitating the transition from R&D through to large-scale production.

Also at UKBIC, the Battery Development Lab opened in February, offering more analytical techniques for in-house evaluation and characterisation of raw materials, slurries, coated electrodes and finished cells. In addition, UKBIC’s new clean and dry zone will be opened in 2025, where customers can rent space for their own development and testing purposes under controlled environmental conditions. UKBIC customers can also access cell cyclers and environmental chambers on site, a facility that opened in 2024.

The Advanced Materials Battery Industrialisation Centre will be opening in Q2 2025. AMBIC is a jointly operated facility hosted by both CPI in the North East (battery materials scale up) and WMG in the West Midlands (battery prototyping and scale up). AMBIC will provide innovation capability for the synthesis and processing of battery materials right through to the prototyping of commercially attractive batteries. The £12 million facility will bring together scalable and commercially relevant equipment into one entity to fast-track battery materials development.

Shortly, the Faraday Institution will launch initiatives to scope and shape future research in ultra-low-cost, ultra-long duration energy storage. In March we will be opening an expression of interest for individuals and teams to work with us on a consultancy basis in 2025 to co-create and plan possible long term research projects in this area, targeting a step change in cost. Keep a look out for that call. We also have a programme of activities to help UK battery innovators reengage with Horizon Europe.

The largest cohort yet completed the Investor Readiness Programme in December 2024, bringing the total number of companies benefiting from this programme to over fifty. 90% of participants had positive outcome from their participation (securing subsequent investment or grant funding or opening up new collaboration opportunities). The Faraday Battery Challenge intends to continue to support UK battery SMEs by developing links into the investment community.

On skills, the DEBUT project facility launches on 18 March. The scheme convenes regional academic, local government and industrial experts to deliver a new and innovative battery manufacturing level 2 - 3 training programme for the West Midlands.

Connect and Help Shape our Programmes

We encourage companies in the UK battery sector to connect with us in 2025, at events, on social, or whatever means suits you. Tell us about the challenges you’re facing and how we can help. Help us shape our future programmes. We’re in regular and active discussions with government and if we can better understand your needs, we can better represent your interests as we act in our role of an ambassador of the UK battery industry into government. As we gather information from you, we’ll actively play that back to our communities for example via social media and newsletters.

We have a busy schedule of events this year. Come and catch up with our teams at:

Future Propulsion Conference , 12th-13th March. Colleagues will be present on the Innovate UK stand. Join the batteries session on Day 1 when Diogo Vieira Carvalho, Innovation Lead, Innovate UK, will present “A Cross-sector View of the UK Battery Industry.”
Cross Sector Battery Showcase, 19th March. Join 300 attendees for networking, an exhibition, lightening pitches, and a presentation on the findings of the Cross Sector Target Report.
Both Prof Martin Freer, CEO, Faraday Institution and a representative from Innovate UK will be speaking at Innovation Zero 29th-30th April.
Battery Cells & Systems, 8th-10th July . Expressions of interest will open shortly for industry partners to co-exhibit with us on the Faraday Battery Challenge stand (1416). We’re securing speaking slots for Faraday Battery Challenge representatives to at the event to speak to a number of topics, including skills (Rosa Wells, University College Birmingham), investment, and cross sector report on recycling (Diogo Vieira Carvalho). Martin Freer, will be speaking as part of the Plenary Panel “Are Gigafactories the Answer? What is the Best Route to an Efficient, Competitive Battery Manufacturing Ecosystem in Europe?
Cenex Expo , 3rd-4th September. Come and speak to us on the Innovate UK stand.
The Faraday Institution Conference , 9th-11th September, will once again convene 500+ of the energy storage community of academics, industry organisations, policy makers and funders from the UK and internationally. Registrations are open , and opportunities are open for industry organisations to speak, exhibit and sponsor.

Do put these events in your diaries now.

A Vision for the Future

The UK’s battery sector is stronger, more innovative, and more connected than ever. The country has become a key player in the global EV battery sector, with 83+ startups raising over $2.4bn in venture capital investment since 2018 and now valued at more than $3bn. The UK ranks fourth globally for EV battery venture capital investment and second by number of investment rounds since 2018.

The transition to a net-zero economy can be fully realised with sustained investment, strategic foresight, stability in policy and collaboration across sectors – all part of the UK Battery Strategy.

The path ahead is not without challenges, but it is also filled with opportunity and we’re confident that working together with our industry, academic and government partners, we’ll see these opportunities realised to deliver significant growth, and work towards a net zero future.

Connect with Us

Innovate UK: LinkedIn , Email

Faraday Institution: Linkedin , Email

UKBIC: Linkedin , Email

Cross Sector Battery Network: Enter the Innovation Hub , and Sign up

Unlocking Innovation: Exploring UKBIC's Module and Pack Capabilities

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:45:32 GMT

Unlocking Innovation: Exploring UKBIC's Module and Pack Line

Date delivered: 5th March 2025

Hosted by:

An drew Britton

Business Development Manager

Webinar description

In this webinar, Andrew Britton, our Business Development Manager, with responsibility for Module and Pack, presented a deep dive into UKBIC's Module and Pack line and its capabilities.

The webinar explained how UKBIC's agile module and pack assembly line is an essential part of the facility, transforming any cells into modules and packs that are ready for installation or further testing.

He spoke about the types of companies we work with and walked delegates through some case-studies, whilst explaining how our specialist staff can provide support at every level, from initial prototyping through to final assembly, end-of-line testing as well as design for disassembly.

The presentation also took viewers to the webinar through some of the specialists equipment available to customers.

Slot Die Coating CFD Simulation Case Study

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 12:18:43 GMT

Use of Multiphysics models for process improvement of slot die coating

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models of slot-die coating have been developed at UKBIC as a tool to de-risk scale up of electrode production. These CFD models have decreased dialling-in time, reduced waste material and improved electrode coat uniformity.

During electrode scale-up, a significant amount of time and material is wasted to determine the optimal process parameters to produce uniform electrode during slot die coating (Figure 1). This can include slot-die set up such as shim thickness and design (Video 1, Figure 2), as well as machine parameters such as on-coat position or coating speed (Figure 3).

Figure 1: Slot die coating onto backing roller at UKBIC. Slot die coating is a pre-metered process of using a thin channel and subsequent pressure drop to spread a fluid equally across a substrate.

Video 1: Interior structure of the slot die coater. The pink domain is the shim placed between the two sides of the slot die to determine channel for slurry flow.

Figure 2: Domains of the slot die coating CFD model where a chamfer has been cut into the shim. This allows lateral spread of slurry in an attempt to reduce high edges. The dark grey area is the shim placed into the slot die – a solid region in the model. The blue area is the fluid domain interior to the slot die. The white domain is the combined air/fluid domain exterior to the slot die.

Figure 3: On-coat position (h) and shim thickness (t) illustrated in the fluid domains of the CFD model. Substrate is moving along with roller at velocity U.

The multiphase CFD models developed at UKBIC (Figure 4) simulate the flow of slurry through the slot die cavity and onto the translating foil considering slurry rheology and surface effects. This enables the investigation of process parameters prior to coating to achieve a stable coating bead and uniform cross web thickness.

Reliant on inputs such as slurry rheology, contact angle and surface tension, the models are sensitive to these inputs, so accuracy is critical. Collaboration with The University of Birmingham via a Faraday Institution Industrial Fellowship ‘Parameterisation of Electrode Slurries for Coating Optimisation’ determined best practise for slurry characterisation of electrode slurries ^[1] . The thorough characterisation of the slurry determines the physics activated in the model, such a non-Newtonian and viscoelastic behaviour.

Sensitivity studies around these input parameters also highlight the best levers that can be pulled for a particular slurry to improve coating quality. If defects occur during coating the model can be used to determine the dominant cause.

Figure 4: CFD model showing the development of a high edge during anode coating. Note that symmetry has been exploited in the simulation and only half the slot die is modelled.

Impact

“Typically, we have had to make three shim changes to the slot die – that controls the thickness variation of the electrode coating – as we set up the manufacturing line for a new customer. In one recent customer campaign the simulation work allowed us to select the correct slot die gap setting before dialling in. This minimised waste, and, more importantly, the set-up time. In a high-volume environment this would equate to around 0.4MWh of production.”

Ameir Mahgoub, Head of Product Engineering at UKBIC

Technical results

An initial guess on the thickness of the shim was taken to be 0.5mm. In early simulations this was found to be sufficient to distribute the flow laterally across the die ( Figure 6 ). Following this, both the on-coat position and inclusion of a chamfer were investigated.

Firstly the ‘on-coat’ position is investigated to both determine its impact on bead stability ( Figure 5 ). A stable coating bead which is not at risk of approaching the slot die exit (see left of figure) ensures that air is not at risk of being entrained into the coating. The on-coat position is also critical in ensuring coat uniformity across the web as well as causing localised high edges ( Figure 6 ). An on-coat position that is too great causes a high edge to pinch off at the coat edge. As the on-coat position is reduced this effect decreases. One technique used to mitigate high edges is the inclusion of the chamfer on the internal shim to allow local lateral spread of slurry very close to the slot die exit (see case 175μm on-coat with 1x10mm chamfer vs 175μm on-coat). In Figure 6 we see the reduction in absolute value of the high edge is at the expense of the final 10mm of coating, which sees a significant reduction in coat thickness and is arguably a poorer coat profile overall. We learn that high edges should ideally not be mitigated through use of a chamfer if possible.

Figure 5: Side view of slot die coating. The model is used to investigate bead stability to avoid air entrainment and defects in the coating. Coating bead meniscus for on-coat positions 175μm (left) and 195μm (right). Risk of air entrainment is seen for 195μm case.

Figure 6: Cross web coat thickness determined by the simulation for different ‘on-coat’ positions. An ‘on-coat’ position that is too large will result in high edges for this slurry as seen in the 195μm case. Note symmetry is exploited at x=0.

Continuous validation ( Figure 7 ) and improvement of the models occurs when new slurries are processed at UKBIC. Following the final production run a last simulation is produced and we see excellent agreement between the simulation and lineside measurements of the final product, adding further confidence to the model. As UKBIC’s data set grows there will be the opportunity to develop reduced-order models from these high-fidelity CFD models to achieve rapid turnaround of process parameters.

Figure 7: Corroboration of coat thickness predicted by the simulation against measured dry final production thicknesses.

References

[1] https://doi.org/10.1039/D4YA00380B

About the Author

Dr Helen Walker | Senior Simulation Engineer

Dr Helen Walker is a senior simulation engineer at UKBIC. She develops Multiphysics simulations and other modelling tools to advance process understanding, improve product quality and reduce wasted time and materials on the production line. Particular areas of model development include slurry degassing, coating, drying and calendering. Helen has 7 years of experience in manufacturing research working across industries such as aerospace and renewable energy, developing Multiphysics simulations to improve product performance and inform process design. She holds a PhD in Mathematics from The University of Nottingham.

Introducing UKBIC's new Flexible Pilot Line

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 10:05:35 GMT

Introducing UKBIC's new Flexible Pilot Line

Date delivered: 3rd February 2025

Hosted by:

Yahya Alvar

Head of Business Development, UKBIC

Main presentation by:

Richard LeCain

CTO, UKBIC

Webinar description

Given by our CTO, Richard LeCain, this webinar deep dives into UKBIC's Flexible Pilot Line, and is hosted and introduced by Yahya Alvar, the Head of Business Development for UKBIC.

The new line, which once opened will be jointly operated by UKBIC and WMG bridges the gap between small-scale research and development lines elsewhere and our existing Industrial Scale-up Line, and covers the electrode production process from mixing to slitting.

It is designed to open up our facility to even more companies who want to test out their chemistries and processes, just at a smaller scale and lower cost.

UKBIC opens new advanced Battery Development Laboratory

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 14:22:54 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has opened its new upgraded and extended Battery Development Laboratory (BDL) which has greatly increased the facility’s capabilities in key areas of battery materials characterisation, cell analysis and forensic activities.

The new laboratory allows customers from all over the world to come to UKBIC to have their materials and cells analysed and tested in real-time. The enhanced capability will provide vital data to customers during the lifespan of the battery cell scale-up journey.

The 240m2 laboratory is open to all clients and will enable precision characterisation of products that are processed on the facility’s existing volume manufacturing line, the new flexible development line once it is operational, as well as those products brought into the facility from elsewhere.

The lab’s capabilities have five key areas for manufacturing development:

Characterisation – for analysis including material properties such as morphology, crystal structure, elemental and material compositions. The lab contains equipment for elemental analysis (ICP), electrode imaging and particle morphology (SEM/EDX), phase analysis for crystalline materials (XRD), thermal properties and thermal stability (TGA), carbon-based materials characterisation (Raman), and electrolyte characterisation (GC, NMR).
Chemical and physical processing – for the preparation of samples for characterisation and the handling of more hazardous samples. Equipment supports Quality Control (QC) analysis and the safe handling of electrode materials and water-based slurry. There is also a protected bench space for handling electrodes and a double glovebox for coin cell assembly.
Forensics – equipped with both thermal and optical cameras for investigating cell failures and for the safe teardown of cells. Highlights include a VHX Microscope (Keyence), which has up to 6,000 magnification and which is capable of taking 2D and 3D measurements, a glovebox (MBraun) and a Shadowgraph (Keyence) microscope with automatic dimension measurement system.
Electrochemistry – for advanced electrochemical analysis on coin cells, single-layer pouch cells and multi-layer pouch cells, including extended cycling and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
CT Scanner  – for non-destructive analysis of cells to understand issues and potential failure modes without the need to physically teardown the cell. The capability is a strategic partnership between UKBIC and Waygate Technologies.

The BDL is the second in a series of £74m upgrades to UKBIC to come online. Funded through the Faraday Battery Challenge by UK Research and Innovation, other enhancements are:

Cell cyclers and environmental chambers to enable developers to continuously charge and discharge cylindrical and pouch cells, and measure how many cycles a battery cell can deliver over its life, which came on line late last year;
A clean and dry zone where customers can rent space for their own development and testing purposes under strictly controlled environmental conditions, which is due to open this year; and
A flexible pilot line where customers can undertake early-stage optimisation cycles and production trials at a smaller scale than UKBIC’s existing volume line.

Richard LeCain, UKBIC’s Chief Technology Officer, said:   “Having this new on-site resource will ensure customers have a steady flow of data as they develop and scale new manufacturing processes, materials and chemistries as they head towards commercial production. This in-house capability will be an incredible resource for UKBIC and the UK battery industry.”

UKBIC is part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, which is a £610m investment programme which supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK.  The Challenge supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK.

-ends-

Notes to editor:

To arrange an interview, please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 628892

UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing battery development facility, providing manufacturing scale-up and skills for the battery sector.

Skills Development in the UK Battery Manufacturing Ecosystem

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 12:54:07 GMT

Skills Development in the UK Battery Manufacturing Ecosystem

Date delivered: 16th January 2025

Hosted by:

Andrew Britton

Business Development Manager, UKBIC

Main presentation by:

Jonty Deeley-Williamson

Head of Learning & Development, UKBIC

Webinar description

Given by our Head of Learning and Development, Jonty Deeley-Williamson explains why upskilling and retraining is important to the UK battery sector, and where training and skills sit within the UK battery ecosystem.

You also hear about how companies can bring their employees to work with UKBIC on our specialist manufacturing line, and learn from our team of expert battery specialists.

The presentation, hosted by UKBIC Business Development Manager, Andrew Britton, also sets out the opportunities and the skills challenge within the UK.

Introducing UKBIC's new Battery Development Laboratory

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 17:12:58 GMT

Introducing UKBIC's new Battery Development Laboratory

Date delivered: 12th December 2024

Hosted by:

Robert Wingrave

Business Development Manager , UKBIC

Main presentation by:

Richard LeCain

CTO, UKBIC

Webinar description

The second in the series of UKBIC webinars, focused on introducing the facility's new Battery Development Laboratory.

This webinar explains how UKBIC's new laboratory will offer more analytical techniques for in-house evaluation, and discusses how it will specialise in the characterisation of raw materials, slurries, coated electrodes and finished cells.

The session also discusses key capabilities including characterisation, processing, electrochemistry, forensics and CT scanning.

UKBIC introduces new Cell Cycling Capability in Coventry

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:41:15 GMT

New specialist equipment for battery developers and manufacturers is now operational at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

The cell cyclers and environmental chambers installed at the Coventry-based battery development facility enable developers to continuously charge and discharge cylindrical and pouch cells, and measure how many cycles a battery cell can deliver over its life.

Housed inside a 135m² air-conditioned unit, the cyclers feature custom-made racking and cell fixtures designed to perform high-accuracy cell characterisations in different environmental conditions. The 15A cylindrical cell cycler has 192 channels and the 100A pouch cell cycler has 96 channels.

The cyclers include extended lifecycle testing, in Binder EUCAR* hazard level 6 chambers that can be environmentally controlled and measured, and the ability to give customers the opportunity to try out new chemistries, to validate cell designs and trial new cell materials, all in one location.

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC’s Managing Director, said: “The cell cyclers will be a huge asset to the UK battery industry, helping us become a one stop shop for.”

Richard LeCain, UKBIC’s Chief Technology Officer, added: “The new cyclers will help make UKBIC’s world-class scale-up facilities an even more attractive proposition to battery developers, allowing performance to be independently validated and risk to be reduced.”

The equipment is the first in a series of upgrades to UKBIC, totalling £74m. Funded through the Faraday Battery Challenge by UK Research and Innovation, other enhancements in the pipeline are:

An expanded battery development laboratory, which is due to be operational in early 2025;
A clean and dry zone where customers can rent areas for their own development and testing purposes, which is also due to open in 2025; and
A flexible pilot line to bridge the gap between UKBIC’s industrial scale offering and small-scale demonstrators available elsewhere, which will open in Summer 2025.

The Faraday Battery Challenge is a £610m investment programme which supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK. The Challenge supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK.

-ends-

* EUCAR is the European Council for Automotive R&D of the major European passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturers. EUCAR facilitates and coordinates pre-competitive research and development projects and its members participate in a wide range of collaborative European R&D programmes.

Notes to editor:

To arrange an interview, please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 628892

UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing battery development facility, providing manufacturing scale-up and skills for the battery sector.

UKBIC’s construction was part-funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority and was originally delivered through a consortium of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick.

Bridging the Gap from R&D to Mass Production: Lessons Learned in Battery Manufacturing Scale-up

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 12:40:25 GMT

Bridging the Gap from R&D to Mass Production: Lessons Learned in Battery Manufacturing Scale-up

Date delivered: 13th November 2024

Hosted by:

Yahya Alvar

Head of Business Development, UKBIC

Webinar description

This was the first in our series of UKBIC webinars, starting with a session discussing the importance of battery manufacturing scaleup. Also included, were some of the key lessons learned by UKBIC's team of experts, since we were first opened in 2021.

The presentation - given by our Head of Business Development, Yahya Alvar, also discussed our facility's numerous capabilities:

Flexible Pilot Line (FPL): Will bridge the gap between our Industrial Scale-up Line (ISL) and kilogram scale demonstrator lines available elsewhere.
Industrial Scaleup Line (ISL): Our existing full-scale equipment covers the whole production process from electrode manufacturing, cylindrical cell & pouch cell assembly, formation, ageing & testing, to module & pack assembly.
Clean and Dry Zone (CDZ): Provides a dedicated clean and dry room environment, which can be subdivided for different uses. This means you can develop individual processes or machinery under carefully curated environmental conditions.
Development Laboratory (BDL): Boosts our capabilities in battery materials characterisation, cell analysis, and forensic conditions
Cell Characterisation: Features our new cell cyclers and environmental chambers, which will be housed inside a 135m squared air-conditioned unit inside our existing formation, ageing, and testing area.
Module and Pack: Our module and pack assembly capability allows for process development and low-volume manufacture.
Cell Assembly: Our existing high-volume specialist manufacturing equipment is perfect for those organisations in need of representative scale-up.
Training: Get to hear about how you can bring your employees to work with us on our line or in the classroom and learn first-hand from our team of battery specialists.

Battery electrode slurry rheology and its impact on manufacturing

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 11:45:54 GMT

Battery electrode slurry rheology and its impact on manufacturing

This paper was a collaboration between UKBIC and Energy Materials Group at the University of Birmingham, led by Professor Emma Kendrick and Dr Carl Reynolds, as a part of The Faraday Institution 's Industry Fellowship .

Abs tract

The manufacturing of battery electrodes is a critical research area driven by the increasing demand for electrification in transportation. This process involves complex stages during which advanced metrology can be used to enhance performance and minimize waste. A key metrological aspect is the rheology of the electrode slurry which can give a wealth of information about the underlying microstructure and the composite slurry materials' chemical and physical properties.

Despite the importance, extensive characterisation and a comprehensive understanding of the relationships between rheology, microstructure, and material properties are still lacking. This work bridges academic and industrial perspectives, evaluating current advancements in characterisation. It emphasizes the role of formulation and mixing in determining the slurry's behaviour and structural properties. The study concludes with recommendations to improve measurement techniques and interpret slurry properties, aiming to optimize the manufacturing process and enhance the performance of battery electrodes.

Free training course in battery manufacturing available to companies based in Warwickshire

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 09:11:39 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) – the national battery manufacturing facility providing manufacturing scale-up and skills for the battery sector - in conjunction with Warwickshire County Council, is set to offer a free of charge two-day training course in battery manufacturing.

Participants who work for a company based in the county, and are aged 50 and above, can apply to Warwickshire County Council’s New Direction – 50+ Skills Investment Fund, for a place on the fully funded Introduction to battery manufacturing training.

In addition to this, there are fully funded places available for anyone in full-time employment through the Skills Escalator Fund. To be eligible, you must be a small to medium sized business or self-employed and based in Warwick and Stratford with Nuneaton & Bedworth and Rugby coming soon. Training must be completed by March 2025. Both grant schemes allow five places per company.

Jonty Deeley-Williamson, Head of Learning & Development, UKBIC, added: “It’s fantastic to get such brilliant support from Warwickshire County Council to boost skills across the county in battery manufacturing. These courses will give employees who work for a company based in the county a helping hand to work in the growing battery manufacturing sector.”

By 2040, the Faraday Institution estimates that the battery industry could support 170,000 jobs nationally in the automotive industry and a further 100,000 jobs in battery manufacturing and the wider battery supply chain. Significant reskilling and upskilling programmes will be needed to cater for the 35,000 jobs in gigafactories and 65,000 jobs in the battery supply chain that could be created.

Louise Stolz, Future Skills Business Support Advisor, Warwickshire Skills Hub, said: "Warwickshire County Council’s Future Skills Fund is a multi-strand programme, designed to develop work related skills and knowledge for new and existing employees, in new and emerging technologies, such as battery technology. It’s great that Warwickshire businesses can now access courses with the UKBIC in Battery Manufacturing and really supports the work Warwickshire Skills Hub are doing around the future skills agenda.

The next Introduction to battery manufacturing is being held on 22 and 23 September. Anyone wishing to find out more about training at UKBIC and the free training courses should contact: training@ukbic.co.uk

Notes to editor:

To arrange an interview, please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 628892

UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing battery development facility, providing manufacturing scale-up and skills for the battery sector.

UKBIC is part of the £610m Faraday Battery Challenge, which is delivering a research and innovation programme that covers "Lab to Factory" development, cutting-edge research, national scale-up infrastructure, and skills and training.

UKBIC is part of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funded Electrification Skills Network (ESN). ESN’s purpose is to create a comprehensive framework for electrification skills in the UK. Other key partners in the initiative include Coventry University, Enginuity, the University of Warwick, and the Electric Revolution Skills Hub. ESN aims to bridge the gap between employers, accrediting organisations, and skills providers.

Aussie-UK partnership announced with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 14:37:21 GMT

Australian businesses are a step closer to accessing world-leading battery manufacturing scale-up facilities, thanks to an agreement signed today between the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) and Powering Australia.

UKBIC is a £130 million ($250 million) national battery manufacturing scale-up facility based in Coventry, UK that was established by the UK Government through the Faraday Battery Challenge to help companies bridge the gap between battery technology showing promise at laboratory scale and move them towards successful mass production.

The agreement is intended to strengthen collaboration in battery research, technology and innovation between Australia and the UK and aligns with the “Statement of Intent” signed by the Albanese Government in April 2023. The Statement is intended to promote collaboration on critical minerals, strengthen international supply chains, meet net zero objectives, remove barriers to adoption of new technology and help create the jobs and the workforce of the future.

CEO Shannon O’Rourke said reaching the agreement with UKBIC is a key milestone for the five-month-old Powering Australia team whose work is helping to operationalise the intergovernmental agreement with tangible action and accelerate the development of Australia’s battery industry in partnership with other nations.

“We are delighted to have reached this agreement with the UKBIC team, less than six months into our formation as Powering Australia which is very much aligned to the Statement of Intent. Our organisation was established to help Australian businesses succeed in clean-tech manufacturing and being able to access world scale common user facilities like the UKBIC is major win,” said Shannon.

UKBIC’s facility covers 20,000 sqm and has extensive equipment covering battery production from mixing and coating, to calendering, slitting cylindrical and pouch cell assembly, and formation, ageing, testing, as well as module and pack assembly.

UKBIC Managing Director Sean Gilgunn said:

“This is a great first step between the two organisations to encourage cooperation between the UK and Australia in battery technology. We’re looking forward to helping Powering Australia with its vision, and, in the future, to welcoming Australian companies
that want to use our state-of-the-art facilities.”

The two organisations will work together on strategic projects that offer mutual benefit and will engage in the exchange of skills and expertise to help both nations develop their respective battery industries further.

Notes to editor:

To arrange an interview, please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 628892

UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing battery development facility, providing manufacturing scale-up and skills for the battery sector.

UKBIC appoints Richard LeCain as its new CTO

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 13:06:33 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the national battery manufacturing facility providing manufacturing scale-up and skills for the battery sector, has appointed Richard LeCain as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

Richard will report into Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC’s Managing Director, and will sit on the executive team with responsibility for technical process design, product development and R&D activities across the business.

Richard has more than 20 years of experience working in the battery industry, having previously held technical and leadership positions at A123 Systems and Britishvolt, where he was Director of Cell and Process Engineering.

Richard began his career in batteries at Lithium Iron Phosphate pioneer (LFP) A123 Systems in the US as a process engineer where he developed LFP cells in cylindrical and pouch formats for energy storage applications such as power tools, medical devices and automotives, eventually becoming the head of cell design for low voltage applications.

As Director of Cell and Process Engineering at Britishvolt, Richard and his team worked closely with UKBIC and WMG, at the University of Warwick, to quickly develop an energy dense 21700 cell for customer evaluations.

Most recently, he was Director of Cell Development at US-based silicon anode company, GDI, where he worked on integrating 100% silicon anodes into lithium-ion cells for high energy density and fast charging applications. Richard has worked in battery plants across the world transferring processes and designs from the lab into manufacturing.

Sean Gilgunn said: “We’re very excited with the appointment of Richard to the role of CTO. Richard’s vast expertise and experience will be hugely beneficial to our customers and employees alike, as our customers develop and refine their battery products as they move along their challenging scaleup journeys.”

Richard, who will join UKBIC on 19 August, added: “UKBIC is a world class facility and I’m delighted to be joining them at this exciting time. I’m looking forward to helping companies with getting a foot on the scale-up ladder, as customers move from research and development through to volume manufacturing. From my previous engagement with UKBIC on the customer side with Britishvolt, I saw firsthand how well UKBIC could make cells and I’m excited to be part of that team now.”

-ends-

Notes to editor:

To arrange an interview, please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 628892

UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing battery development facility, providing manufacturing scale-up and skills for the battery sector.

Introduction to Battery Manufacturing

Thu, 16 May 2024 09:11:50 GMT

Introduction to Battery Manufacturing ��⚡

Learn the ins and outs of battery manufacturing in this 2-day course designed to kickstart your journey into the battery sector.

9:00 - 16:00

23 ^rd to 24 ^th September 2024

Introduction to Battery Manufacturing - 2-day course

Join us for a two-day course on battery manufacturing, held in UKBIC's one-of-a-kind facility.

This in-person course is perfect for anyone interested in gaining practical knowledge about the growing battery sector. Hear from our team of battery specialists who will cover the fundamentals of the battery manufacturing process, materials, and technologies.

You will have the chance to tour our facility and view our gigascale battery manufacturing equipment at our site in Coventry.

Don't miss this chance to expand your knowledge and hear from industry experts.

SME Credits Competition: £1.5 million invested to support growing UK battery developers

Wed, 15 May 2024 15:53:03 GMT

Funding will be used to develop innovative battery manufacturing, demonstration, scale-up and recycling projects.

Small and medium sized (SME) battery developers from across the UK are to benefit from £1.5 million in funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC), delivered by Innovate UK. Projects involve cylindrical and pouch cell technologies and will bring advanced lithium titanate oxide (LTO) battery technology and a new cathode active material (CAM) to the UK for the first time.

The announcement was made by Thomas Bartlett (Deputy Director - Faraday Battery Challenge at Innovate UK) at the Battery Cells & Systems Conference

Scaling up projects

The winners, which will each be given the chance to scale-up their projects at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) funded by FBC, were announced at the annual Battery Cells and Systems Expo, at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on 15 to 16 May.

The companies will use the funding to support a range of scale-up journeys, from technological potential towards commercial capability.

The successful companies were awarded the funding through the £610 million FBC, which is delivering a research and innovation programme that covers ‘Lab to Factory’ development, cutting-edge research, national scale-up infrastructure, and skills and training.

The winners

Altilium

This project plans to demonstrate manufacturing of battery cells at-scale using sustainable, low-carbon CAM from recycled end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries from Altilium’s UK-based pilot CAM plant and EV battery recycling innovation centre in Plymouth.

Nyobolt

Nyobolt is commercialising ultra-fast charging, high power battery technologies for applications ranging from industrial to automotive and heavy duty off-highway. Nyobolt will build on experience gained during previous activity at UKBIC to optimise the quality and speed of manufacturing Nyobolt’s electrode material at giga-scale.

Snapfast

The project will see Snapfast and Grinergy from South Korea transfer advanced LTO technology for pouch cell manufacturing to the UK. LTO batteries are long lasting, with up to 90% of the batteries recycled, do not suffer from thermal runaway and are stable across a wide range of temperatures (-30°C to 60°C).

Volklec

This project plans to develop and manufacture type 21700 cylindrical battery cells to meet the demands of the UK’s automotive market, in particular the diverse array of small volume and niche vehicle manufacturers. The cell development includes the introduction of a new CAM to the UK.

Bringing battery technology to industrial scale

Tony Harper, Challenge Director for the FBC said:

For the UK to fully prosper from the transition to electrification, we need to bring a range of battery technology through to industrial scale. These projects represent a great combination of outstanding home-grown solutions and the selective commercialisation of technology and materials from overseas where it benefits the UK. In supporting these organisations in their work at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, this funding will help demonstrate these innovations at industrial scale and rate proving value to customers and investors.

Critical to the development of UK electrification

Sean Gilgunn, Managing Director, UKBIC, added:

We’re delighted that the Faraday Battery Challenge is once again supporting home-grown battery developers by offering funding for access to UKBIC and we firmly believe this scheme is critical to the development of UK electrification. A facility with capabilities which are constantly evolving, UKBIC is installing a new line to help bridge the gap between our existing scale-up line and kilogramme scale demonstrator lines already available elsewhere. These new capabilities will ensure we can benefit battery developers at all stages of their scale-up journeys.

This latest funding builds on the SME Credit One competition in 2023, which saw Nyobolt and Addionics working with UKBIC to scale up their battery technologies in the facility in Coventry.

VOLKLEC launches to manufacture electric vehicle batteries in the UK

Wed, 15 May 2024 15:28:52 GMT

New EV battery brand, Volklec is established in the UK
Backed by UK-based investment company, Frontive Group, Volklec represents significant investment in engineering and manufacturing in Coventry, the epicentre of the UK automotive industry
Volklec batteries will be in development at UKBIC – the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre

Coventry, UK, 15 May 2024 – Volklec, a new UK manufacturing business making batteries for electric vehicles, is launched today. Based in Coventry in the West Midlands, with the vision of Powering Electrified Mobility, it is set to manufacture sustainable batteries for on-road, off-highway and track vehicles.

In an innovative UK technology collaboration, Volklec is working with UKBIC, the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre and national manufacturing development scale-up facility, which also provides skills for the growing EV battery sector.

Volklec, working with UKBIC, will develop batteries to meet the attribute requirements of the UK automotive market, in particular the diverse array of small volume and niche vehicle manufacturers. Volklec’s product development and rapid route to scale-up provides a critical component in the roadmap to giga-scale production. The collaboration will directly create jobs in the West Midlands and contribute directly to building world-class battery R&D, process and manufacturing capability in the UK.

Imran Khatri, Volklec Founder, said: “Volklec has been many months and significant investment in the making, established to help the UK’s decarbonisation drive. As a proud investment in the UK, our initial focus is on the automotive industry, providing security of supply to the sector, then we intend to look at the broader electrification markets as well.”

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC Managing Director, said:

“We’re delighted to welcome Volklec to UKBIC and to become their launch base here in the heart of the UK automotive industry. Our purpose-built facility is where businesses can develop their battery manufacturing processes at the scale they need to move to industrial production. This agreement marks the start of Volklec’s journey to create a battery with the potential to scale up to significant volumes in the coming years, and we are proud to support the business in the initial phase of their development. Manufacturing cells at volume is vital to ensuring the UK prospers from the energy transition towards Net Zero, and this agreement further demonstrates the unique value of UKBIC to the battery ecosystem.”

ENDS

ABOUT FRONTIVE GROUP

Frontive Group is an investor, incubator and advisor, providing solutions to grow businesses and support investors with the aim of driving sustainable change. The company’s vision is to achieve social change through investments that build a sustainable future with a focus on both environmental and social impact.

Frontive Holding was founded in 2016, founding and developing numerous businesses internationally. The Group has expanded with the creation of Frontive Services (2020) – offering specialist investment solutions for high net worth individuals and family offices; and Frontive Japan (2021) – launched to support investment and business development in the Asia-Pacific region.

For further information contact: media@volklec.com

Marie Lowe to be appointed Finance Director

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:41:46 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the national battery manufacturing scale-up facility, has appointed Marie Lowe to the post of Finance Director and Company Secretary.

Marie brings a wealth of experience to the company, having held senior financial positions in engineering, automotive, and medical technology companies in the UK and North America. Marie, who begins her new role on April 1, first joined UKBIC as Financial Controller in March 2023.

Ma rie will be responsible for developing, implementing and overseeing UKBIC’s financial reporting and will become part of the company’s executive team and its Board.

She will lead financial operations and strategy, playing a key role in supporting the centre's ambitious goals to accelerate the UK's development of battery technology and manufacturing.

Marie said: “This is a hugely exciting time to be working in the battery industry and at UKBIC. I’m really looking forward to joining the executive team and board and taking on the additional re sponsibilities this role involves.”

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “I’m excited to welcome Marie to the post of Finance Director, which will also see her join the executive team. Since joining UKBIC last year as financial controller, she has shown a strong blend of professionalism, experience and expertise, coupled with a strong track record of delivery, which makes her an ideal for the role."

Coventry-based UKBIC is a key part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, a UK Government programme to fast track the development of cost-effective, high performance, durable, safe, low weight and recyclable batteries.

UKBIC appoints Jonathan Smith to post of External Affairs Director

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 09:47:17 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the national battery manufacturing scale-up facility, has appointed Jonathan Smith to the post of External Affairs Director.

Jonathan previously headed up the press teams for FTSE100 Severn Trent Water, E.ON UK and Alstom. During a career spanning more than 20 years, he has led or worked on a wide range of activities and initiatives, including public relations campaigns, internal communications, investor relations, mergers and acquisitions, joint venture communications, and events.

Highlights include leading internal and external communications around half and full year reporting to the City, creating programmes and campaigns to support the rollout of new trams and tramlines in Nottingham, leading the issues response during plans to build a new power station in Kent, and being part of a joint venture communications team which helped to build what was then, the world's largest offshore wind farm (the London Array).

Jonathan will be responsible at UKBIC for government relations, stakeholder management, communications, public relations, social media, website, marketing and events, and will also work as part of UKBIC’s Executive Team.

Jonathan added: “I’m delighted to be joining UKBIC at a time when the battery industry in the UK is growing in importance. There’s a huge amount to be done and I’m really looking forward to finding out all about the facility, our customers, and the wider industry.”

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “I’m excited to be welcoming Jonathan to the post of External Affairs Director. Jonathan’s wealth of experience will be hugely important as UKBIC develops its capabilities in what is a fast growing battery sector.”

Coventry-based UKBIC is a key part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, a UK Government programme to fast track the development of cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe, low-weight and recyclable batteries.

UKBIC launches inaugural battery manufacturing training course

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 09:18:53 GMT

The UK’s national battery manufacturing facility, the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), is to hold its first publicly available training course for anyone interested in battery manufacturing.

The two-day long introduction to battery manufacturing course is open to technicians, managers, researchers, investors, or anyone interested in gaining practical knowledge of the growing battery sector.

Delegates will be able to listen to specialists introduce the fundamentals of the battery manufacturing process, hear about the materials required, and the technologies available. They will also be given the chance to tour the state-of-the-art facility and see the giga scale battery manufacturing equipment used in the facility.

Future training courses will include ‘Introduction to Designing Sustainable Batteries’, ‘Familiarisation of Battery Module and Pack Design’, and ‘Substance Awareness.’

Jonty Deeley-Williamson, the Head of Learning and Development at UKBIC, said: “With the transition to zero emission vehicles well underway, the need to develop a skilled workforce for the growing UK batter sector is key to unlocking a Net Zero economy. This training course – which will be the first of many - will contribute to this development. We’ve already delivered specialist training to several different organisations, so to be able to deliver our first bookable training course, is a great step for the organisation.”

Coventry-based UKBIC, which provides manufacturing scale-up facilities and skills for the battery sector, is a key part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, a UK Government programme to fast track the development of cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe, low-weight and recyclable batteries.

To book a place on the ‘Introduction to Battery Manufacturing’ course, which is being held on 12 and 13 March:

UKBIC appoints Professor David Greenwood to board of directors

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 11:21:26 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the national battery manufacturing scale-up facility, has appointed Professor David Greenwood, the CEO of the WMG High Value Manufacturing Catapult and the Director for Industrial Engagement, at WMG, University of Warwick, to the board of UKBIC.

David previously led the Energy Directorate at WMG where he led a team of over 200 researchers and engineers, working on a wide range of projects on electrification of transport, spanning several fields, including cars, trucks, boats, off highway machinery, aircraft and motorcycles.

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC’s Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to welcome Professor David Greenwood to UKBIC’s board of directors. His wealth of experience and leadership in battery technology, coupled with his working knowledge of UKBIC, will undoubtedly elevate our capabilities and further strengthen our value to our customers.”

Professor David Greenwood added: "I am honoured to join the board of UKBIC and to help UKBIC navigate the complex battery industry. With both AESC and Agratas committed to developing gigafactories in the UK, this is an exciting time to be joining UKBIC’s board.”

David moved into academia after 20 years in industry latterly as Head of Hybrid and Electric Systems for engineering consultancy Ricardo UK Ltd. His research spans batteries, electric motors, power electronics, and the integration and control of these for propulsion and energy applications.

Professor Greenwood holds advisory and board positions for the Advanced Propulsion Centre, Innovate UK (Faraday Battery Challenge), and the Faraday Institution, and he is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Construction work now underway on UKBIC roof top solar farm

richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 11:10:04 GMT

Construction work now underway on roof top solar farm on UKBIC

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the national battery manufacturing development facility, is set to revolutionise the way it generates energy with an innovative project which will transform its roof into a solar farm capable of generating a peak output of 2.8MW of clean, renewable electricity.

In addition to the solar farm, the project will see the creation of two 2MWh Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) which will give the facility greater flexibility over when it uses energy, allowing solar energy generated throughout the day to be used overnight. Construction work is set to commence in March 2024.

Once fully operational, the new Vital Energi installation will significantly help to reduce the facility’s carbon footprint by 555,000kg per year.

Funding for the solar farm is being provided by UK Research and Innovation, via the Faraday Battery Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK. The FBC is a £610m investment programme which supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK.

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC’s Managing Director, said : “The installation of a solar farm on our roof will be fantastic for UKBIC. This latest investment from UKRI will help us to reduce our carbon intensity and demonstrate good industry practice by making the battery industry greener. The initiative will help to reduce our energy bills and help towards the UK’s goal of achieving net zero by 2050.”

Simon Jones, Vital Energi’s Regional Manager for Solar, added , “It’s only right that a world leader in battery development should harness the latest technology and UKBIC are making a significant investment in their green energy future. This project will not only substantially drive down their carbon emissions but will also deliver long-term energy savings and bring stability to their energy costs.

“UKBIC’s size means that their roof is a fantastic resource which can be used to house almost 5,000 solar panels across the roof space of its 18,500m2 facility, generating a peak output of 2.8MW, and will be a fantastic technical achievement once completed.”

Work is already underway on the solar farm with completion scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024.

Construction work underway on new lineside battery laboratory at UKBIC

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 08:51:56 GMT

Construction work is now underway on the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre’s (UKBIC) new innovative battery laboratory, which is due to come online during 2024.

The enhanced laboratory will boost UKBIC’s capabilities in key areas of battery materials characterisation, cell analysis and forensic activities to support manufacturing development.

The laboratory – building on the national facility’s existing testing capabilities - will enable customer materials and cells manufactured and developed on site to be analysed and tested in real-time; and will use a broader array of techniques to provide the lineside data required throughout the scale-up journey.

UKBIC’s new 320m ² battery laboratory space will be four times the size of the facility’s existing testing laboratory. It will enable characterisation of the products that are processed on UKBIC’s existing volume manufacturing line – and will also support the new flexible development line which is due to come online in 2025. This new flexible line will bridge the gap between UKBIC’s existing industrialisation line and earlier Technology Readiness Level (TRL) kilogramme-scale R&D pilot lines available elsewhere.

The new capability will have five key areas of focus for manufacturing development:

Characterisation – for analytical analysis including material properties such as morphology, crystal structure, elemental and material components.
Chemical and physical processing – for the preparation of samples for characterisation and handling of more hazardous samples.
Forensics – for the teardown of cells to investigate cell properties and failure modes.
Electrochemistry – for advanced electrochemical analysis of manufactured cells including extended cycling and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
CT Scanner – This enables non-destructive analysis of cells to understand issues and potential failure modes without the need to physically teardown the cell.

Funding for the new laboratory is being provided by UK Research and Innovation, via the Faraday Battery Challenge, a £610m investment programme which supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK.

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC’s Managing Director, said: “The new battery laboratory will be a fantastic resource for our customers in the analysis of battery cells and their components during process development. Being able to better understand the materials and the issues that can occur during the manufacturing scale up process will help our customers develop their battery technologies much more efficiently. Having the capability available on site will be an incredible resource for UKBIC.”

Tony Harper, Director of the Faraday Battery Challenge, added: “Having this additional on-site resource will further optimise the industrialisation process for users. Technology developers require significant amounts of continual feedback and data as they develop and scale new manufacturing processes towards commercial production. Having real-time access to this new lineside equipment at UKBIC further enhances the UK’s position in supporting effective battery technology scale-up.”

£38m funding to upgrade the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) announced in the Autumn Statement

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 10:00:45 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has secured a further £38m in funding to upgrade the facility’s scale-up capabilities to support innovation projects for high-tech developers and users of battery technologies.

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has secured a further £38m in funding to upgrade the facility’s scale-up capabilities to support innovation projects for high-tech developers and users of battery technologies.

The new funding, announced as part of the Autumn statement, is principally for UKBIC’s innovative flexible scale-up line, and builds upon the £36m already committed by Faraday Battery Challenge in May. Preparatory work on construction of the facility is already underway.

The new funding for the national battery manufacturing scale-up facility will enhance its offering to customers and enable activities including:

Additional electrode production equipment to be installed as part of UKBIC’s new flexible scale-up line.
The installation of a flexible 800m2 clean & dry Industrialisation space for new manufacturing process demonstration.
Development of advanced digital manufacturing capability to transform how data is analysed for innovative products and processes being scaled up at UKBIC.

The new flexible scale-up line will bridge the gap between UKBIC’s existing volume industrialisation line and kilogramme scale demonstrator lines available elsewhere. The new capability, which is expected to be operational during 2025, will provide battery developers with an increasingly cost-effective route to market, enabling companies to move from R&D through to large-scale production, without having to use overseas facilities.

The funding (announced today) is being provided by UK Research and Innovation, as part of the UK Government’s £610m Faraday Battery Challenge, a national investment programme which is delivered by Innovate UK. The Challenge supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK.

The new developments include:

A secondary electrode line will offer new modular equipment capacity for coating, drying and calendering of electrodes, allowing more innovative processing methods to be developed and trialled alongside existing customer scale-up activities.

The creation of a specialist 800m² flexible industrialisation space will provide a dedicated clean and dry room environment, which can be subdivided for different use cases, for customers to develop their own individual processes or machinery under carefully controlled environmental conditions.

The introduction of advanced digital manufacturing at UKBIC will provide customers with real-time knowledge transfer by giving access to data analytics, advanced machine learning, and tools for learning and visualisation increasingly required by technology developers, through the process of continually understanding, developing and improving. The funding will enable companies to better understand new data in real-time, but also provide a vital foundation for future developments in smart manufacturing for the battery industry.

Tony Harper, Director of the Faraday Battery Challenge, said: “This new funding will help make UKBIC’s world-class scale-up facilities an even more attractive proposition to domestic and global battery developers. UKBIC’s flexible scale-up line, in addition to the new dedicated industrialisation space, and the introduction of digital manufacturing capability will further help position the UK and UKBIC as the place to go for battery development and scale-up.”

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “This latest funding announcement is fantastic news for UKBIC and the battery industry. The investment in the new equipment and capability will mean that many more customers will be able to use the facility seamlessly develop battery manufacturing through to large-scale demonstration. The added introduction of digital manufacturing at the facility will provide customers with an even better data-driven understanding of their manufacturing processes, a capability which customers will increasingly expect as the industry evolves.”

The Coventry-based facility, which opened in July 2021, is used by organisations with new or existing battery technologies and provides battery manufacturing scale-up and skills for the battery sector.

UKBIC appoints Unipart Manufacturing Group MD as non-executive director

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 10:25:19 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the national battery manufacturing scale-up facility, has appointed Carol Rose Burke CBE, the Managing Director of Unipart Manufacturing Group (UMG), to its board as a non-executive director.

Having joined Unipart in 1994, Carol is one of the UK’s leading advocates for manufacturing and engineering, and is responsible for UMG’s ‘Manufacturing Partner’ strategy, created to support the automotive sectors shift away from the internal combustion engine to alternative forms of propulsion.

One of UMG’s most recent projects has brought together their expertise in Tier 1 manufacturing, with WAE Technologies’ design, to create Hyperbat Limited. This joint venture has successfully begun manufacturing batteries for the world’s fastest supercar, the Lotus Evija.

Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC’s recently appointed Managing Director, said: “I am delighted with Carol’s appointment to the board. With a career spanning more than 30 years, her experience and insight will be invaluable to us as we develop our capabilities in the battery industry. Carol’s experience in bringing new technologies to market, and ultimately transferring this expertise into non-automotive sectors, will be a fantastic asset to UKBIC and the wider battery industry.”

Carol Rose Burke CBE added: “As a passionate advocate for manufacturing and engineering in the UK, I’m delighted to be joining the board of UKBIC. With the transition to electrification and the global move to zero emission vehicles well underway, and with AESC and Tata Group committed to building battery manufacturing plants in the UK, this is a really exciting time to be joining UKBIC.”

SME Credits Round 2 Pre-engagement Event

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 16:11:11 GMT

Join us for the SME Credit 2: UKBIC Pre-Competition Engagement Event - your chance learn all about the UKBIC facility, the Faraday Battery Challenge and how the SME Credits Round 2 competition could benefit your business.

About the competition:

Building on the success of the first SME Credit competition in May of this year, the new competition will:

support small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) research and development for the scale-up of battery technologies within the UK
support small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to access the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) and demonstrate technologies at suitable scales to customers
increase engagement with UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC)
move UK battery innovations from technological potential towards commercial capability, including scalability and design for manufacture
develop and secure material and manufacturing supply chains for battery technologies in the UK

Important information:

Funding support for eligible costs will be confirmed once the formal call is published.

The timeline of the competition will be: (all exact dates to be confirmed)

29 November 2023, Pre-competition engagement event at UKBIC facility
January 2024, Competition opens
January 2024, Online Competition Briefing event
March 2024, Competition closes
July 2024, likely start dates for projects
End of March 2025, all projects must have been completed

Get in touch:

Contact our Business Development Team at sales@ukbic.co.uk , putting 'SME Credit' in the subject line.

Mark your calendars and save your spot now!

SME Credits Round 2 Competition Announcement

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 14:14:24 GMT

UKRI’s Faraday Battery Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK will invest up to £1.5m in innovation scale up projects in January 2024 to fund UKBIC SME credit Round 2.

Building on the success of the first SME Credit competition in May of this year, the new competition will:

support small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) research and development for the scale-up of battery technologies within the UK
support small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to access the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) and demonstrate technologies at suitable scales to customers
increase engagement with UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC)
move UK battery innovations from technological potential towards commercial capability, including scalability and design for manufacture
develop and secure material and manufacturing supply chains for battery technologies in the UK

Important information:

Funding support for eligible costs will be confirmed once the formal call is published.

Competition timeline (dates TBC):

29 November 2023, Pre-competition engagement event at UKBIC facility
January 2024, Competition opens
January 2024, Online Competition Briefing event
March 2024, Competition closes
July 2024, likely start dates for projects
End of March 2025, all projects must have been completed

Pre-competition Engagement Event

UKBIC are hosting a pre-competition event, allowing you to learn more about our facility and talk to our Business Development Team about how to apply.

Pre-competition engagement event, 29 November 2023 at UKBIC Facility in Coventry:

Introduction to Faraday Battery Challenge
Introduction to UKBIC and scope of facilities (especially companies new to using UKBIC)
Bidding for SME Credits programme
Benefits of SME Credits
UKBIC timeline to support competition
1-2-1 discussions with UKBIC team of project idea

Ilika Leads £2.7 Million Collaboration for Industrialisation of its Goliath Solid State Batteries for Electric Vehicles

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 08:29:55 GMT

Ilika, a pioneer in solid-state battery (SSB) technology, is pleased to announce it is leading a 16-month, £2.7 million Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) project, partnering with Mpac Group plc (Mpac) and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

Codenamed SiSTEM and commenced 1 October 2023, the project will develop a 1.5MWh SSB assembly line capable of delivering Ilika’s A-sample SSB pouch cells to automotive OEMs and Tier 1s. Additionally, UKBIC will undertake physical trials to demonstrate Ilika’s SSB electrodes at GWh scale.

The UKBIC facility, based in Coventry, UK, provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production. SiSTEM follows on from the successful BUS100 programme , which concluded that part of Ilika’s SSB process could in principle take place using some of the equipment used for lithium-ion batteries (LIB) manufacturing, such as that present at UKBIC. In SiSTEM, UKBIC’s formulation and coating lines will be trialled with Ilika’s SSB chemistry, in order to verify the expectations from BUS100. It is indeed very important, in order to enable adoption of SSB, that the manufacturing of this novel technology can re-use equipment invested in by the LIB industry as much as possible. In fact, feasibility study SOLSTICE (a collaboration between Ilika and Comau) concluded that there exist no barrier to scaling-up SSB and that over 2/3 of the required tools already exist in LIB factories.

Mpac is a global engineering and service provider of automation and packaging solutions. They design, precision engineer and manufacture high-speed automation solutions within key sectors including Clean Energy. In SiSTEM, Ilika and Mpac will be working closely to design, build and commission the SSB assembly line which is expected to be fully operational by H1 2025. It was indeed concluded in projects BUS100 and SOLSTICE that assembly of SSB pouch cells may differ somewhat to that of LIB: this project will design the required automated tools for pouch cell assembly, which will be used by Ilika for the production of A-samples but will also be the blueprint for future scale-up.

Project SiSTEM will run in parallel with Project HISTORY , which will finalise the technical development of Ilika’s prototype automotive A-sample SSBs.

The ATF is a UK funding programme created to support large-scale industrialisation. Up to £850 million of funding will be invested in developing a high-value end-to-end electrified automotive supply chain in the UK. The fund is highlighted as an important mechanism to reach targets in UK Government’s 10-Point Plan for a green industrial revolution and its Transport Decarbonisation Plan.

Graeme Purdy, Ilika CEO, stated: “Project SiSTEM builds upon previous ATF support in Project BUS100 which found that with minor adaptations, Ilika’s electrodes could in principle be produced in volume on the UKBIC lines. Project SiSTEM will undertake those physical trials, proving Ilika’s technology can be successfully scaled. Our collaboration with Mpac will see the development of a scaled SSB assembly line which will be capable of delivering A-sample automotive pouch cells for testing in 2025. This is an important step in Ilika’s roadmap, enabling us to engage closer with OEM’s as we start to deliver SSB cells into their test programmes.”

Julian Hetherington, Director of the Automotive Transformation Fund, said: “We are delighted to be able to support Ilika’s project seeking to validate higher-scale SSB manufacturing processes and which utilises the world-class facilities at UKBIC to demonstrate roll-to-roll coating of solid state materials. SSB technologies have the potential to be transformational in vehicle battery pack design due to their stable nature and open up applications possibilities at higher safe operating temperatures.”

Adam Holland, Chief Executive Officer at Mpac Group plc expressed his enthusiasm: “We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Ilika and UKBIC after the successful award of the prestigious ATF grant for Project SiSTEM. Mpac is a market leader in complex automation, and we are eager to leverage our expertise in developing a cutting-edge innovative solution that will enable the reliable assembly of solid state batteries. This project not only demonstrates our commitment to technological advancement but also aligns with the UK government's vision for a cleaner and more sustainable world."

Sean Gilgunn, Managing Director of UKBIC said: “ We’re delighted to be working with Ilika on trials to support the development of the Company’s solid state battery technology. Being able to scale up and demonstrate manufacturing innovation for battery technologies at UKBIC is a valuable resource for the UK’s growing battery sector. ”

Industry Fellowship Awarded Between University of Birmingham and UKBIC

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 10:35:27 GMT

Sharing expertise in electrode slurry characterisation for coating scale up optimisation.

A Faraday Institution industry fellowship has been set up to facilitate the sharing of expertise between the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) and the Energy Materials Group at the University of Birmingham, led by Professor Emma Kendrick and Dr Carl Reynolds.

Prof Kendrick is work package leader on the Faraday Institution’s Nextrode project investigating smarter slurry cast electrodes.

The fellowship will facilitate the sharing of knowledge in the areas of electrode slurry characterisation and modelling. It will improve the ability to predict the rheology of electrode slurries as they are scaled up from lab to production scales, so reducing coating line dial-in times, scrap rates and improving product quality.

The aims of the 12-month fellowship are to:

Further develop the understanding of how formulation impacts slurry and coating processability.
Determine best practice for slurry characterisation.
Understand the impact of slurry rheology of moving from 1 litre, 10 litre and 220 litre mix.
Provide rheological parameters as inputs to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models that can be used to predict slurry coat-ability and inform initial process parameters for production.
Transfer knowledge of slurry characterisation to UKBIC.

For UKBIC the fellowship will additionally:

Further populate UKBIC’s database of input parameters used for CFD modelling and future AI designed cell optimisation tools.
Enable the organisation to develop a competitive baseline for manufacturers to test their new technologies against.
Further mitigate the risk of scale-up for future technology developers using UKBIC facilities allowing them to reach market more quickly.
Ensure that UKBIC’s customers, who use its electrode capability, advance the development of their slurries for industrialisation. The ongoing work will help UKBIC to bring in teams to assist in the analyses of slurries and coatings to minimise coating defects and other potential downstream process issues.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham (and Nextrode project) will benefit from the collaboration by further developing:

An understanding how parameters scale up onto manufacturing lines.
Experience in tailoring research for manufacture.
Exposure to CFD modelling and simulation

Ameir Mahgoub, Head of Product Engineering at UKBIC, said: “The ongoing collaboration between UKBIC and Nextrode is helping to tackle real industry challenges and de-risk barriers to scale-up. The collaboration demonstrates the Faraday Battery Challenge’s role in marrying research, innovation and scale-up to deliver positive impact for the UK battery industry. It further supports UKBIC’s mission to be the place to go for battery industrialisation. The project will enable UKBIC’s electrode customers to benefit from the knowledge we’ve learnt in the development and coating of their slurries.”

The Faraday Institution and UKBIC are both key delivery partners for the Faraday Battery Challenge at UK Research and Innovation, which is delivered by Innovate UK. The Challenge is making the UK a science and innovation superpower for batteries, supporting the UK's world-class battery facilities along with growing innovative businesses that are developing the battery supply chain for our future prosperity. Its aim is to build a high-tech, high-value, high-skill battery industry in the UK.

Reel-to-reel coater at UKBIC

UKBIC appoints new Managing Director

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 07:45:28 GMT

Sean Gilgunn appointed UKBIC's new Managing Director

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the national battery manufacturing scale-up facility, has appointed Sean Gilgunn as its new Managing Director.

Sean, who will take up the post at the Coventry-based £130m facility in October, joins UKBIC from Johnson Matthey where he has worked across various business areas, most recently as Global Procurement Director, Strategy & Operations.

Prior to this, Sean was based in Poland as General Manager and President of the Board of Directors for JM Battery Systems, a leading manufacturer of batteries across a wide range of applications. He has also spent a number of years leading global business units and key accounts focusing on critical markets including South Korea, China and South East Asia more broadly.

Sean was appointed by the UKBIC Board to lead the organisation, following the announcement in April that incumbent, Jeff Pratt, will be leaving at the end of his appointment in September 2023.

UKBIC is a key part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, a UK Government programme to fast track the development of cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe, low-weight and recyclable batteries.

Sean, the incoming Managing Director, said: “I am really pleased to have been appointed to the role of Managing Director for UKBIC. The opportunity to lead an organisation whose work is pivotal to the UK’s ambition to create a strong and sustainable battery manufacturing industry is truly unique. I am excited by the opportunity to drive forward UKBIC’s strategy in supporting the growing industrial opportunity for battery production at scale, and to work with our partners across the UK ecosystem to ensure we are providing the right environment for businesses to thrive.”

Richard Moon, Chairman of UKBIC’s Board and Director of Property Services & Development, Coventry City Council, commented: “I’m delighted that Sean has taken on the role of Managing Director at UKBIC. He brings an impressive background in strategic and operational leadership, which includes more than 20 years of international commercial and management experience in the B2B battery systems, automotive and chemical sectors. It’s this experience which will be vital in guiding the organisation forward in the years ahead.”

Tony Harper, the Faraday Battery Challenge’s Director, added: “This is a hugely exciting time for Sean to be joining UKBIC. With the global transition to zero emission vehicles well underway, and with the commitment from AESC and Tata Group to build battery manufacturing plants in the UK, we are seeing strong signs that the UK is on the right path to delivering a world class battery industry. I’m delighted that Sean will be leading UKBIC to enable manufacturing opportunities as part of our joined-up ecosystem.”

-ends-

Battery Tech Expo (Sweden) 2023

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 15:44:22 GMT

UKBIC will be attending and speaking at the Battery Tech Expo in Gothenburg, Sweden.

In-Person| Gothenburg| #BatteryTechExpo

11:30

28th September 2023

Battery Tech Expo Sweden 2023 runs 28th September 2023 at Lindholmen Conference Centre, Goteborg, a major hub of the Nordic high-tech engineering sector. The event brings together professionals from across the advanced battery technology and energy storage sector to connect, innovate and do business.

The event will provide a unique opportunity to showcase the latest products, technologies and services covering the Battery Management Systems, EV Battery, Battery Storage, Battery Development/ Discovery, Commercial and Mobile Power Device sectors.

11:30 - 'The Challenges of Scaling Up Battery Technologies'

UKBIC Business Development Manager, Dr Vishal Nayar, will be speaking on the morning of the conference in the Lindholmen Conference Hall.

Battery Show USA 2023

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 14:40:14 GMT

UKBIC will be exhibiting at the Battery Show USA Conference 2023

In-Person | Novi, MI| #TheBatteryShow

12th - 14th September

15,000+

Attendees

775+

Suppliers

200+

Speakers

72+

Hours of conference sessions

We will be exhibiting on the UK Government Pavilion, come and see us at booth 2501.0.

The Battery Show brings together engineers, business leaders, top-industry companies, and innovative thinkers to discover ground-breaking products and create powerful solutions for the future.

UKBIC Commercial Director, Naseer Ahmed, will be attending the event. Get in touch below to arrange a meeting:

Faraday Institution Conference 2023

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 11:44:02 GMT

The Faraday Institution Conference returns this year to University of Birmingham’s Teaching and Learning Centre.

In-Person| Uni of Bham

11th - 13th September

This year's conference theme is 'driving towards sustainable electrification on the UK', with nine sub-themes delving into cross cutting topics across the conference programme.

UKBIC will be taking part in two sessions on the final day of the conference:

09:00 - 10:30 - Battery applications and requirements - "bridging an academia/industry divide?"

This theme 7 discussion will be chaired by University College London's Professor Jawwad Darr, and feature invited speaker Martin Dowson (WMG, University of Warwick) who will discuss ‘Strategic Industry Drivers for Academic Research’.

Selected speakers include Govinder Pawar (UKBIC) , Scott Millen (Queen's University Belfast), Iain Aldous (Swansea University) and Haijun Ruan (Coventry Uninversity).

10:30 - 11:00 - Career journeys from academia to industry

UKBIC's Dr Laura Driscoll is taking part in a panel where she will discuss her personal career journey from pHd researcher to Senior materials Scientist at UKBIC.

Laura will be joined by other invited panel speakers Dr Yashraj Tripathy, (About:Energy) and Daisy Thornton (Rimac Energy), chaired by Fran Long (Faraday Institution).

You can learn more about Laura's career journey in her recent interview for International Women in Engineering Day, here .

UKBIC response to Tata government announcement

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 08:12:22 GMT

UKBIC's Managing Director, Jeff Pratt, said:

"The announcement is a significant landmark for UK industry, including the automotive sector and its supply chain, as well as the construction industry and other sectors planning to source batteries for electrification. The new gigafactory, at 40GWh, will be one of the largest in Europe, and the creation of direct and indirect jobs will significantly boost employment and economic opportunity and bring vital long-term stability for the future of UK automotive.

“Today’s news, coupled with last year’s gigafactory investment announcement from AESC in Sunderland, sends strong signals to global investors and those working in the battery sector, that the UK is a country with a battery industry worth investing in.

“UKBIC will continue to support companies who are looking to scale up battery production, up-skill their workforce and participate in the UK Government-funded Faraday Battery Challenge’s mission to build a high-tech, high-value, high-skill battery industry in the UK."

Delivering £1m innovation scale-up for UK SME battery developers

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 14:25:57 GMT

SME battery developers will share circa £1m through three projects to support research and development for the scale-up of battery technologies in the UK.

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 Exihibition 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.

Laura Driscoll: International Women in Engineering Day

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 09:03:14 GMT

We spoke to our Senior Materials Scientist, Dr Laura Driscoll, about her career journey and experience working in an engineering field.

Hi Laura. How would you describe what you do at UKBIC as a Senior Materials Scientist?

My main role at UKBIC is to help support customers during their scale up activities and to help troubleshoot when issues may arise on-site during the manufacturing process. This can include anything from advice on formulations and materials, routine quality control checks (to ensure materials conform to the original specification throughout the process) as well as characterising defects that might arise during production and to propose mechanisms for their formation to resolve issues quickly and efficiently.

Have you always worked in this sector?

I recently moved into industry in July 2022, however, prior to joining UKBIC, I have been involved in the research of battery materials for some time in academia. I’m a chemist by training and I started my journey back in 2012 with my PhD researching novel materials for sodium ion (Na-ion) batteries. After that, I spent a brief period in the metallurgy industry before returning to academia (University of Birmingham) as a research fellow between July 2017-2022. During my time as a research fellow, I’ve been involved in the development of novel ways to synthesise materials capable of being used as electrolytes for solid state batteries, developing (and patenting) short-loop recycling methods for Li-ion battery electrodes ( ReLiB ) and the development of routes and materials for next generation cathode materials for Li-ion batteries ( CATMAT ).

You really have an interest in batteries then! What do you like about working in this field?

Sustainability is extremely important to me personally. My past research and my current role all have the underlining aim of helping people and the planet through the development of green technology. I love being involved in an industry which has the potential to help reduce CO ₂ emissions through the utilization of renewables and to reduce the UKs reliance on fossil fuels. I also enjoy materials characterisation and the problem-solving nature of the work that we do here on site. It’s extremely rewarding when all the pieces of a puzzle finally fall into place, and you can confidently explain why a process or a material has struggled to perform as planned and propose ways to optimise/fix any issues that may reveal themselves during manufacturing at scale.

Do you have any advice for young women aspiring to enter engineering fields?

My main piece of advice would be to try to arrange work experience in the industry of your choice. Being able to work briefly in a sector will give you a flavour of whether that career is optimal/well-suited to your personal needs. It may also reveal qualifications/courses that may be extremely beneficial to that career path which you could then opt for to give you a head start as part of your own personal development. Secondly, I would just say ‘go for it!’ if you ever see an opportunity pop up that you might be tempted to apply for but feel you might not have everything the business is looking for. Most job criteria are wish lists so always go for an opportunity if one arises as you may have skills that the employer may not have originally accounted for when designing the post. Building on soft skills (such as time management, presentation skills etc) is also extremely important as these are very transferable regardless of which career path you may wish to follow in the future!

If you want to know more about Laura and her career journey, make sure to register for the upcoming Faraday Institution Conference.

Laura will be taking part in a panel session titled 'Career journeys from academia to industry' alongside speakers form Rolls-Royce and Rimac Energy.

11th - 13th September 2023

Battery Cells and Systems Expo 2023

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:22:10 GMT

UKBIC will be on the Faraday Battery Challenge stand & taking part in a panel discussion

In-Person| NEC | #BatteryCellsandSystemsExpo

28th - 29th June 2023

Battery Cells & Systems Expo is an international showcase of manufacturers, users and the entire supply chain working to increase battery performance, cost and safety. The show will bring together automotive OEM’s, electric utilities, battery cell manufacturers, system manufacturers and integrators along with the entire manufacturing supply chain.

UKBIC will be on the Faraday Battery Challenge stand, alongside Innovate UK and the Faraday Institution (stand number: 906). Our Business Development Manager, Vishal Nayar, will also be taking part in a panel discussion titled 'How to improve, expedite and scale up battery manufacturing'. On both days, we will also be delivering five-minute 'lighting talks' on the FBC stand.

UKBIC to build £36m Flexible Industrialisation Line (FIL) to enable battery developers to more easily move up the challenging battery manufacturing ‘scale-up’ ladder

Thu, 25 May 2023 15:16:43 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the UK’s national battery manufacturing scale-up facility, has secured £36 million in funding for the facility’s new Flexible Industrialisation Line (FIL.)

The new line will bridge the gap between UKBIC’s Volume Industrialisation Line (VIL) and existing kilogramme scale demonstrator lines available elsewhere.

Construction of the new flexible line is set to get underway in September of this year, with the equipment coming online during 2025.

The new line will provide battery developers with a cost-effective route to market, enabling companies to move from R&D through to large-scale production, without having to take cell development outside of the UK. Once completed, FIL will be owned by UKBIC but operated jointly by UKBIC and WMG to facilitate effective transfer from research into industrialisation.

Funding for the new line is being provided by UK Research and Innovation, as part of the UK Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge, a £541 million (€621.87 million) investment programme which supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK.

Since it opened in July 2021, UKBIC has successfully supported 24 advanced scale up and industrialisation battery technology projects across numerous battery developers and end users, supported by its existing facilities and capabilities.

Dr Ahmad Mohsseni, UKBIC’s Chief Technology Officer, who announced the initiative during a presentation at the The Battery Show Europe in Stuttgart, Germany, said: “The construction of this new facility will be hugely significant for UKBIC and the UK battery industry. Once built, this new Flexible Industrial Line, will provide companies with a unique platform to enable them to get a foot on the scale-up ladder, from Research & Development through to volume manufacturing.

“Companies can find it incredibly difficult to source the volume of advanced materials required for early scale trial and demonstration – the smaller the quantity needed, the better for executing early-stage optimisation cycles and production trials. To date, we have mitigated the amount of material and time required for running our larger scale manufacturing equipment for early customers through developing techniques such as half-width coating, running at slower speeds and half mix batches of slurry, but more is needed to support industry with a truly cost-effective route to commercialisation.”

Minister for Industry and Economic Security, Nusrat Ghani, added: “The battery industry will be essential in helping us grow the green economy of the future, and this funding secured by the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre forms part of the Government’s landmark support for the industry so far. The Centre’s new Flexible Industrialisation Line will provide a significant boost to both research and production for UK battery companies, helping to drive forward our ambition to make the UK a battery science superpower.”

Tony Harper, Director of the Faraday Battery Challenge, commented: “When customers leave laboratories or pilot lines for product development, there is still a huge amount of process iteration required before cells can be successfully scaled at the cost, quality, and performance required for giga-scale production.

“UKBIC’s existing Volume Industrialisation Line is ideally placed for the later stages of manufacturing process to validate that product can be made in volumes of tens of thousands and above. This is where it becomes cost-effective and representative of an industrial plant run, and therefore a vital part of the commercialisation process.

The gap for the UK is in early production quantities, between the low hundreds and low thousands of cells, which is where our new line will come in.”

Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “The scaling up of battery cells is notoriously difficult, time-intensive, and complex. When technology developers get to the point of trying to attract investors or customers, they are looking for high quality control and industrial standards, which is a key reason for turning to UKBIC. The challenge is that they may have a significant programme of product and process developments to be completed before they can continue.

“Our specialist high-volume manufacturing equipment is perfect for those organisations in need of representative scale-up, but not necessarily for those organisations at an earlier technology readiness stage of their development. That’s where FIL, once built, will come in.”

Professor David Greenwood, Director for Industrial Engagement and CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult at WMG, said: “The new Flexible Industrialisation Line at UKBIC fills the strategic gap between Proof-of-Concept cells at WMG and full-scale manufacturing on the UKBIC Volume Industrialisation Line. This new facility will be operated jointly by UKBIC and WMG so as to bring the best battery science and technology together with the best manufacturing knowledge, allowing companies to manufacture sample batches of many thousands of innovative cells, accelerating commercial development.”

JSAE

Wed, 17 May 2023 08:47:39 GMT

UKBIC is on the UK Government Pavilion stand at JSAE - Stand 1

In-Person| Japan| #JSAE

24th - 26th May 2023

The Battery Show Europe

richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk — Wed, 17 May 2023 08:21:25 GMT

UKBIC is speaking at the Battery Show Europe

In-Person| Stuttgart| #BatteryShowEurope

23rd - 24th May 2023

10,000+

Professionals

99+

Speakers

770+

Suppliers

‘The Challenges of scaling up battery technologies - from Lab to Fab'

The presentation will provide an overview of scaling up battery technologies here at UKBIC and application for anyone wishing to do the same.

UKBIC appoints new Commercial Director

Thu, 04 May 2023 08:35:18 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the national battery manufacturing scale-up facility located in Coventry in the West Midlands, has appointed Naseer Ahmed to the post of Commercial Director.

Naseer, who joined UKBIC as Business Development Manager in June 2021, has previously worked in research, development and manufacturing organisations for a range of telecommunications, space and battery companies, including Ericsson, Fujitsu, Airbus Defence and Space and ABSL.

The newly appointed Commercial Director, who will start in his new role on Tuesday May 1, will be responsible for business development, sales, and customer projects, and will also work as part of UKBIC’s Executive Team.

Naseer Ahmed, UKBIC Commercial Director, said: “I’m delighted to have been promoted to the post of Commercial Director at UKBIC. Helping our customers get the most from working with UKBIC has the potential to have a huge impact on the growth of the UK battery sector, and I am looking forward to developing this further.”

Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “I’m pleased that Naseer has taken the role of Commercial Director at UKBIC. Since joining the business in 2021, he has been a key player in our fantastic Business Development team, helping us to grow our commercial offering and supporting UKBIC’s customers in their scale-up journey.”

UKBIC is a £130 million 20,000 square metre pioneering facility, which provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production.

UKBIC is a key part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, a UK Government programme to fast track the development of cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe, low-weight and recyclable batteries.

UKBIC seeks new Managing Director as Jeff Pratt stands down from role

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 10:30:21 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) is on the hunt for a new Managing Director (MD), when its current Managing Director (MD), Jeff Pratt, steps down from the role later this year.

The MD will leave UKBIC at the end of his five-year contract. Jeff joined UKBIC in June 2018 to oversee the development, delivery and launch of the £130 million facility as a new business, funded by government through the Faraday Battery Challenge.

The pioneering facility is a key part of the Faraday Battery Challenge programme, which is being delivered by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), with the aim of building a high-tech, high-value, high-skill battery industry in the UK.

UKBIC’s role is to support UK industry through the challenging scale-up and industrialisation of battery technologies into commercial production. UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing battery development facility, where businesses can develop their battery manufacturing processes at the scale they need to move to industrial production. Opened in July 2021, the unique facility bridges the gap between battery research and successful mass production, helping companies of any size to scale and commercialise their technologies.

The facility was formally launched by the Prime Minister in July 2021. Since then, it has worked with a number of companies, providing capability and manufacturing facilities to support them in demonstrating their products at scale to de-risk investment in UK production.

Richard Moon, UKBIC’s Chairman, said: “Since Jeff joined UKBIC as Managing Director, five years ago, he has overseen the successful delivery of the £130 million capital project, as well as establishment of the business from scratch and the growth of UKBIC from a small project team of around 10 people in 2018 to an operation of over 140 staff today. He has led the business through the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic over the last few years.

Despite this, he has still managed to see UKBIC through to its launch in 2021 and the building of new business with the first customers since then. I am immensely grateful to Jeff for his dedication to UKBIC over the last five years and the vital expertise and experience he brought to the development of this unique facility.”

Anyone wishing to apply for the role, should do so here .

The Financial Times: Car of the Future 2023

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 16:03:22 GMT

UKBIC's CTO, Dr Ahmad Mohsseni, will be taking part in one of the conference's panel sessions on the growth of gigafactories.

In-Person & Digital | London, Convene | #FTCar

10 May 2023

4.20pm - 5.00pm

2000

Attendees in-person & online

100+

Speakers

650+

Companies represented

60+

Countries

Gigafactories are popping up across Europe, the UK and America, as battery and car manufacturers attempt to compete with China as the leading EV battery producer.

The need for future proof supplies is driving car manufacturers to secure long-term contracts with cell manufacturers so that they have direct control over their inventory. These high volume manufacturing plants will become vital for business infrastructure and future economies, helping to reduce the reliance on imports from Asia. However, scaling up whilst meeting the demands of EV targets does pose challenges.

What benefits will new gigafactory locations bear on the wider auto ecosystem?
Are gigafactories leading to a surge in investment in high volume manufacturing?
How do you keep up with emerging technology in an industry that is constantly evolving

Battery Tech Expo

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 12:41:37 GMT

UKBIC is speaking at the Battery Tech Expo on battery skills.

In-Person| Silverstone| #BatteryTechExpo

20th April 2023

11.30am - 11.55am

2000

Professionals

40

Speakers

100

Exhibitors

‘Developing skills in UK battery manufacturing.’

The presentation will provide an overview of the skills needed for the UK's battery industry, provide an overview of what is being done so far, and provide a summary of our future plans.

Future Propulsion Conference

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 13:15:30 GMT

UKBIC will be attending the Future Propulsion Conference 2023

In-Person & Digital | London, The National Motorcycle Museum| #FPC2023

1st - 2nd March 2023

551+

Delegates

59+

Presenters

54+

Exhibitors

206+

Event participants

The Future Propulsion Conference (FPC2023) is a two day UK event created to bring together industry and academic experts within the propulsion development field.

It will open up presentations and discussions on the solutions to the challenges faced by the engineering industry in the UK and internationally over the next ten years.

With multiple pressures pushing the industry to meet ever tighter emission regulations, the need to develop and implement new technology is increasing all the time and the inherent risks can only be mitigated by a better understanding of the technology.

To help strengthen the UK engineering community and to meet this challenge FPC2023 helps to bring together and bridge the gap between scientists and engineers from the UK’s leading academic institutions and the best of the UK’s industry.

UKBIC Business Development Manager, Andrew Britton will be attending the event. Get in touch below to arrange a meeting:

£1.5m up for grabs in competition to support SMEs working in the battery sector

richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 11:37:12 GMT

£1.5m up for grabs in competition to support SMEs working in the battery sector

UK Research and Innovation has launched a new £1.5million competition to support UK small medium sized enterprises (SMEs) working in the battery sector.

The competition provides SMEs with the opportunity to work with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), created to provide UK battery manufacturing scale-up and skills for the battery sector.

The competition is open to UK SMEs focused on complete battery cell development projects, including mixing and coating, calendering and slitting, through to cell assembly, formation and ageing.; and proving electrode manufacturing at scale, including mixing and coating, calendering and slitting.

Dr Vishal Nayar, Business Development Manager, at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, said: “Developing a home-grown cell supply chain is critical to the growth of the UKs battery industry and the cornerstone of building an ecosystem which can support the establishment of gigafactories in the UK.

“This competition will help bridge the gap for those companies who wish to get on the scale-up ladder.”

Oyebola Bello, Programme Manager at the Faraday Battery Challenge, added: “We know the leap to manufacturing scale-up can be tricky for SMEs and we wanted to be able to help them make the transition. Our £1.5 million competition is designed to do exactly that.

“By giving SMEs working in the battery industry the opportunity to use the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre’s state-of-the-art facilities at a reduced cost, we hope to develop UK battery innovations that may not otherwise get a chance. We’re supporting that move from technological potential towards commercial capability.”

SMEs wishing to be considered for the competition should register their interest and be available for an online briefing on 16 February. Click here to register. The competition opens on 21 February and closes for entries on 4 April. If you wish to participate in the competition, please contact UKBIC at sales@ukbic.co.uk

Waygate Technologies & UKBIC among winners of FBC funding competition

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 12:33:58 GMT

Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business, and its partners, the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) and PXL-ICE, are among the winners of the most recent round of the Faraday Battery Challenge funding competition led by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), a public body sponsored by the British Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The consortium funding is for a feasibility study to look at ways of potentially increasing the yield and productivity of UK gigafactories with data based on advanced industrial computed tomography systems. If successful, this could eventually lead to the development of a digital twin* at UKBIC.

“This competition will help bridge the gap for those companies who wish to get on the scale-up ladder.”

UKBIC Appoints Bob Joyce to its company board

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 16:44:07 GMT

UKBIC appoints Bob Joyce to its company board

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has achieved certification against an internationally recognised standard for its work in developing its Quality Management System (QMS).

UKBIC, the national battery manufacturing development facility, has achieved certification against ISO 9001:2015 by BSI, the business improvement and standards company for the organisation’s QMS which supports the facility’s systems and processes.

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has appointed former Jaguar Land Rover director, Bob Joyce, to its company board.

An award-winning engineer, Bob brings a wealth of automotive industry experience from a career spanning almost 40 years in the sector. He most recently led Product Creation and Delivery programmes for Jaguar Land Rover as Executive Director prior to his retirement in 2016, and as Group Engineering Director for the ten years prior.

He previously worked for BMW, Rover Group, and before that, for Waukesha Engineering in the USA and Ricardo Consulting Engineers.
Since retiring from Jaguar Land Rover in 2016, he has become a non-executive director for several manufacturing and technology companies, and acts as a senior technical advisor to three technology companies.

Bob is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Leicester. In 2015, he featured in Debrett’s Top 500 most influential people in the UK, and in the top 15 for industry and technology development.

Bob Joyce, UKBIC’s newest board member, said: “Battery development is key to prospering from the transition to electrification in the UK, which is why I’m delighted to have joined UKBIC’s board in this new, exciting role. UKBIC’s work to support industry on the challenging journey to scale production of advanced battery technologies is essential to ensure that the UK captures commercial value from its technology innovation as we move towards future Net Zero commitments.”

Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “Bob is a great asset to have on our board. His vast strategic experience and technical expertise in the automotive sector will be key to supporting UKBIC in its mission to help UK industry to develop battery technologies for volume manufacture. Bob’s guidance will help to ensure that, through UKBIC, the UK ecosystem continues to build sustained relevance as new technologies move towards industrialisation.”

UKBIC is the UK’s national battery manufacturing development facility delivered through funding from the Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge, managed via Innovate UK (UKRI). It provides capabilities to bridge the gap between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production. The facility, located in Coventry, was opened by the former Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP in July of last year.

Pathways to Reduce Energy Consumption in Lithium-ion Battery Cell Manufacturing

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 16:23:05 GMT

Pathways to Reduce Energy Consumption in Lithium-ion Battery Cell Manufacturing

Executive Summary

Batteries are a key decarbonisation technology as they are required for electrification of transport, storage of renewable energy and for portable electronics. Demand for batteries is expected to grow significantly in response to decarbonisation targets and it is the battery manufacturing industry’s responsibility to reduce embedded carbon in their processes. For the UK and Europe to compete globally in this sector, setting and achieving ambitious sustainability targets is crucial.

For battery cell manufacturing (slurry mixing to formation/ageing), the largest contributor to carbon footprint is energy consumption. Primary data is collected from the process equipment at UKBIC and used alongside cell design parameters to quantify ‘kWhc/kWhp’: the energy consumed (kWhc) to produce 1 kWh of finished cylindrical cells (kWhp).

The main purpose of this study is not the absolute results, which will change depending on product design and factory scale, but identification of the largest contributors to energy consumption in the battery cell manufacturing process, the key factors that influence these, and potential pathways to reduction. The study focuses on cell manufacturing process for defined cell materials and components. Variation in cell materials and components will be excluded to avoid noise in this study.

The three largest energy consuming areas are electrode drying, formation & ageing, and the use of dry rooms to create low humidity environments. Deploying technology in these areas could see a reduction of 65% as per Figure 0.1. Reducing energy consumption by 19 kWhc/kWhp could provide an emission savings of 6 MtCO2e per year in 2030 when manufacturing capacity is expected to be 965 GWh/year2 in Europe.

Key Recommendations:

kWhc/kWhp to be implemented as core KPI in battery cell manufacturing to achieve sustainable cell manufacturing
Intensive investment in manufacturing research & development and scale up is required to industrialise technologies as soon as possible to reach significant gains towards net zero targets
High risk technologies need substantial investments, but have the potential to be highly rewarding and will support competitive advantages regarding cost, quality and environmental sustainability in European cell manufacturing

Record Funding Uplift for UK Battery Research and Development

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 13:37:07 GMT

The UK’s world-leading manufacturing industries will be boosted thanks to £211 million in new government funding for battery research and innovation, Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg confirmed today (Friday 21 October).

£211 million of government funding confirmed for battery research through the Faraday Battery Challenge
Battery industry could support 100,000 jobs by 2040 and is central to growth of key industries – such as electric vehicles and renewables
Business Secretary visits government-backed UK Battery Industrialisation Centre in Coventry to see how battery research is being brought to market.

The record funding uplift will be delivered through the Faraday Battery Challenge, which began in 2017 and supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK.

It will help to seize on opportunities for private investment and economic growth in industries where powerful, fast charging batteries will be essential – such as domestic energy storage and electric vehicles.

The funding, from last year’s settlement, will be delivered between 2022 and 2025 by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) with support from the Faraday Institution, Innovate UK and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

It will help the sector deliver 100,000 jobs in battery gigafactories and the battery supply chain by 2040. Supporting the scale-up of these technologies and unlocking further private investment supports the sustainable growth of the economy, which will boost tax revenues and put public services on a more secure footing for the longer term, helping improve life for people across the UK.

Speaking on a visit to the £130m UKBIC, which is the UK’s centre of excellence in battery manufacturing, Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said:

“Safe and powerful batteries are central to our plans to grow the industries of the future. From our world leading renewables industry, to our growing electric vehicle sector, secure supplies of batteries are key to delivering jobs and prosperity.

“The Faraday Battery Challenge has brought the UK’s greatest minds and best facilities together to develop the innovations that will help us achieve this goal. The work it has done since 2017 has laid the groundwork for our future economic success and I am pleased to confirm this work will continue, supported by record funding.”

The Faraday Battery Challenge combines:

research and capability development to reduce battery weight and cost, increase energy and power, and ensure reliability and recyclability;
collaborative business-led innovation in the UK battery sector, development of the wider network and skills needed to manufacture batteries through Innovate UK; and
manufacturing scale-up & skills development at the UKBIC the national battery manufacturing development facility.

The Challenge has supported over 140 organisations working across the UK, attracting over £400 million in further private sector investment. It has enabled the Faraday Institution, the UK’s independent battery research body, to unite 500 researchers across more than 25 universities to improve current and develop future battery technologies

Faraday Battery Challenge Director Tony Harper said:

“This new funding allows us to strengthen the foundation we’ve created by consolidating and building on the UK’s position to become a battery science superpower. We now have an opportunity to ensure that our national industrialisation infrastructure remains world leading in this fast-evolving critical net zero technology.”

With the support of the Challenge, the £130 million UKBIC in Coventry opened three years ahead of its nearest European competition.

The Centre provides the link between battery research and successful mass production.

So far UKBIC has supported over 140 UK battery developers, working on more than 80 research and innovation projects, to successfully scale their products to market.

Felicity Buchan, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said:

“The battery industry will play a pivotal role in the growth of our future economy.

That’s why it’s so important that we are making this record investment in cutting-edge research, supporting businesses to become more innovative and productive, and creating high-skill, high-wage jobs across the UK”.

UKBIC Managing Director Jeff Pratt said:

“I am delighted with this announcement which demonstrates the Government’s sustained commitment to supporting the development of advanced battery technologies across the UK.

Since the Faraday Battery Challenge was launched in 2017, we have seen rapid change in the battery industry as it develops increased capacity across Europe; and this will continue over the coming decade.

“For UKBIC, this additional funding will ensure that we retain our leading-edge manufacturing capability for the UK and can continue to support our industry in the next few years as novel chemistries and formats scale towards volume production.”

UKRI Chief Executive Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser said:

“Advanced battery technology will play a central role in our lives and the economy, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, creating new jobs and opening up new opportunities.

“The Faraday Battery Challenge is at the forefront of the clean technology revolution, catalysing collaboration and innovation that will benefit society.

“This exciting work and the further investment announced today underlines the ways in which research and innovation can help to create a sustainable future while driving economic growth.”

Along with the Challenge, the UK Government is helping to deliver a world leading electric vehicle industry for the UK through the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF).

Through the ATF the UK has secured major investments in battery production, including Envision AESC expanding their existing plant in Sunderland.

A further £4 million is also being announced through UKRI’s Driving the Electric Revolution Challenge to support skills, talent and training across Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD) manufacturing and supply chains. PEMD components are the parts that make things ‘go’, from cars to hairdryers, underpinning a wide range of high-value industries.

AMTE Power agrees production contract

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 15:50:51 GMT

AMTE Power agrees production contract with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre for its Ultra High Power cells

Milestone achievement: framework contract signed with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (“UKBIC”) to produce up to 60,000 Ultra High Power cells per year for the high power automotive and fuel cell electric vehicle markets

Ultra High Power automotive cell demonstrates a consistent six-minute full charge time in extensive trials

The contract with UKBIC starts in January 2023 for anticipated sales to customers in sufficient scale to allow them to progress to in-vehicle trials

Agreement is a key milestone to upscale production ahead of mass commercialisation plans as AMTE Power progresses towards its first MegaFactory in Dundee, Scotland, which is underpinned by the growing pipeline of potential business with opportunities of circa £240 million across the AMTE Power product range

AMTE Power moves to scale manufacturing at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre

AMTE Power, the developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion and sodium-ion battery cells for specialist markets, announces that it has signed a contract to manufacture its Ultra High Power cells at UKBIC in Coventry to support the next phase of its commercialisation plans. This is a significant milestone for AMTE Power.

Under the agreement the Company can request UKBIC to manufacture up to 60,000 of its Ultra High Power cells each year, over an initial term of 24 months.

This will enable AMTE Power to deliver its first Ultra High Power cells, in sufficient scale to allow customers to progress through to in-vehicle trials, as the industry transitions away from traditional fuels. I

n August 2022, AMTE Power announced good progress in manufacturing trials for the Ultra High Power cell at UKBIC, with cells performing well against the Company’s target specification when produced on UKBIC’s commercial scale equipment. In particular, the Ultra High Power cells’ low internal resistance supports exceptional power delivery and very fast charging, with current testing demonstrating a full charge in six minutes. Ramping up production of the Ultra High Power cells at UKBIC is due to start from January 2023, generating initial revenues for the Company and enabling the business to meet growing demand from within the automotive sector principally for high performance Electric Vehicles (“EVs”) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (“FCEVs”). AMTE Power has existing non-binding memoranda of understanding in place with key automotive partners Cosworth, Viritech and MAHLE Powertrain, in addition to development agreements with Sprint Power, Eltrium and BMW.

The use of UKBIC to manufacture cells is a key milestone to upscale production ahead of mass commercialisation plans as AMTE Power progresses towards its first MegaFactory in Dundee, Scotland. This agreement will ensure products can be delivered to customers in advance of the opening of its planned MegaFactory, which is underpinned by the growing pipeline of potential business with opportunities of circa £240 million across the AMTE Power product range.

Commenting on the contract, Kevin Brundish, CEO, AMTE Power, said:

“Having already secured significant early interest in our Ultra High Power cell from major automotive partners, this contract will enable us to bring our products to market sooner while we progress our own MegaFactory.

“This new phase in our journey builds on the partnership that we’ve established with UKBIC through cell development. It is testament to the investment that the UK Government has made in this market leading battery manufacturing and scale-up facility that we are now able to put that development work into practice with the first production contract at UKBIC to get cells into customers’ hands as we power the energy transition.”

Jeff Pratt, Managing Director, UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, added:

“We’re delighted to be entering into this landmark agreement with AMTE Power to transfer their design into UKBIC and then manufacture their next generation Ultra High Power cells at volume, allowing us to further support the company’s significant commercialisation plans. Advanced battery cells being manufactured at volume in the UK are a vital component of ensuring the UK prospers from the energy transition towards Net Zero. This latest agreement – our biggest to date - is further demonstration of the unique value of UKBIC which, since being opened just over a year ago, is already delivering incredibly successful outcomes for the UK with customers like AMTE.”

Jackie Doyle-Price, Minister for Industry said:

“Batteries are the foundation of the industries of the future, from electric vehicles to renewables, and building a domestic supply chain for them is central to our plans to grow the economy, create jobs and bolster energy security. “This collaboration between two government-backed partners will see AMTE’s battery production ambitions take the next step, and help the UK seize on the opportunities this technology presents.” This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the UK version of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 which is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended ("MAR"). Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

White paper

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 10:10:46 GMT

Batteries are a key decarbonisation technology as they are required for electrification of transport, storage of renewable energy and for portable electronics.

Demand for batteries is expected to grow significantly in response to decarbonisation targets and it is the battery manufacturing industry’s responsibility to reduce embedded carbon in their processes.

For the UK and Europe to compete globally in this sector, setting and achieving ambitious sustainability targets is crucial. For battery cell manufacturing (slurry mixing to formation/ageing), the largest contributor to carbon footprint is energy consumption.

Waygate Technologies

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 10:24:32 GMT

Waygate technologies and the uk battery industrialisation centre (ukbic) sign memorandum of understanding to accelerate electrification and battery deployment

Strategic agreement lays groundwork for long-term collaboration to drive innovation in battery pack and cell inspection and set new industry standards.

Waygate Technologies’ inspection solutions is to make electric mobility safer and more efficient for people and the planet by reducing resource waste.

UKBIC plays a vital role in the UK Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC), a national UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) led programme to bring together research, development and scale-up, including supply chain and manufacturing development, in order to help organizations seize opportunities presented by the move to a low carbon economy.

About Waygate Technologies

Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business, is an industrial inspection solutions provider and the world leader in nondestructive testing (NDT) ensuring safety, quality and productivity.

We combine more than 125 years of experience and a collection of heritage brands including Krautkrämer, phoenix|x-ray, Seifert, Everest and Agfa NDT.

Today, hundreds of brands in the automotive, aviation, space exploration, electronics, energy, battery and additive industries trust our technologies.

We drive digital transformation through a broad portfolio of award-winning hardware and software solutions in industrial radiography and computed tomography (CT), remote visual inspection (RVI), ultrasound (UT), eddy current, robotic inspection, and data management.

Headquartered in Germany, Waygate Technologies is part of the Digital Solutions segment of Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR). Inspection starts here: waygate-tech.com.

About UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC)

The £130 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) battery manufacturing development centre was opened by the Prime Minister in July 2021.

The unique national facility provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production.

Based in Coventry, UKBIC welcomes manufacturers, entrepreneurs, researchers and educators, and can be accessed by any organisation with existing or new battery technology – if that technology brings green jobs and prosperity to the UK.

In addition to funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge through UK Research and Innovation, UKBIC is part-funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The facility was delivered through a consortium of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick, following a competition in 2018 led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre with support from Innovate UK.

UKBIC launches new graduate programme

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 14:50:01 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) launches new graduate programme

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBC) has launched a brand-new graduate programme for those seeking entry to the fast-growing UK battery sector.

UKBIC, the Coventry-based national battery manufacturing development facility, has opportunities in

Commercial - Finance, Procurement, HR, Business Development, PR & Marketing

Manufacturing Engineering / Operations

Technology / Research and Development

The programme will last for two years with each role or project rotation every three to six months.

During each rotation, graduates will get to work with senior and experienced colleagues from the battery sector, either working for UKBIC, its customers or suppliers.

The Manufacturing and Technology/R&D schemes are for individuals who have completed an under - or postgraduate STEM qualification in an industry relevant subject. Meanwhile, the Commercial scheme is for individuals who have completed an under - or postgraduate qualification in subjects related or relevant to the rotations the programme offers.

Ciaran Price, Talent Acquisition Specialist at UKBIC, said: “We’re hugely excited to launch our new graduate programme here at UKBIC, the only national battery manufacturing development facility of its kind in the UK.

“Our graduate programme is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door of this exciting, fast-growing industry, which according to the Faraday Institution predicts, that by 2040, could employ in the UK upwards of 270,000 people in electric vehicle manufacturing, gigafactories and the battery supply chain.”

UKBIC, which was officially opened by the Prime Minister in July 2021, provides UK battery manufacturing scale-up and skills for the battery sector, and is used by organisations working on batteries for applications including electric vehicles, rail, aerospace, industrial and domestic equipment and static energy storage.

Applicants should send a CV and covering letter to: graduatesrecruitment@ukbic.co.uk

UKBIC Pioneering a Greener Future

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 08:52:57 GMT

UKBIC: A British Success Story Pioneering a Greener Future

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) is a £130 million national battery manufacturing scale-up facility which provides skills for the growing battery sector.

The specialist manufacturing research facility celebrates its first anniversary today (Friday 15 July), marking 12 months since UKBIC was officially opened by the British Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP.

During his visit, the Prime Minister described the facility as a ”beacon of innovation and ingenuity shining the way for a brighter, greener future for the battery sector in the UK.”

UKBIC is key in supporting the UK’s development of battery technology and developing skills for the transition to a greener future, supporting the wider national electrification agenda. It plays a key role in the UK Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC), a national UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) led programme to bring together research, development and scale-up, including supply chain and manufacturing development, in order to help organisations seize opportunities presented by the move to a low carbon economy.

Located in Coventry, the publicly funded facility welcomes manufacturers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and educators, and can be accessed by any organisation scaling up existing or new battery technology towards commercialisation.

The facility has more than £60 million worth of specialist industrial-rate manufacturing equipment installed for the benefit of UK industry, who can use it to develop their technologies and workforce towards volume production. It employs a team of more than 100 engineers, technicians and back office staff, which in turn will help to develop and grow UK battery production skills and knowledge for the industry.

Since first opening its doors in 2021, the Gigafactory-relevant facility, has already played a crucial role in supporting some low carbon projects that are set to propel the UK’s path to Net Zero by 2050. Through industrial collaboration, UKBIC has enabled acceleration of opportunities for the most promising mid-stage research and development activities to accelerate scale-up and commercial exploitation.

Jeff Pratt , UKBIC’s Managing Director, speaking in Bishopsgate in London at Innovate UK’s Celebrating the UK battery innovation ecosystem event said: “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved at UKBIC over the last 12 months. “Most of our focus so far has been concentrated around customers developing batteries to support electric vehicles.

However, there are lots of other sectors requiring our support, and there is still lots to be done. “The Faraday Institution’s recent UK Electric Vehicle and Battery Production Potential to 2040 report predicts that by 2040, a successful battery industry in the UK could employ 170,000 people in electric vehicle manufacturing, 35,000 people in gigafactories and 65,000 people in the battery supply chain.

This shows you that UKBIC is vital to growing the UK’s battery industry.”

Jacqui Murray , Deputy Director of the Faraday Battery Challenge added: “It is fantastic to see UKBIC already benefitting from some of the UK’s most important innovation projects. “We’re proud to support British businesses collaborate with the wider scientific community, and to help them lead the way in research and innovation worldwide and in making great strides in battery sustainability and safety”.

Companies already benefitting from UKBIC, include - AMTE Power, a leading battery manufacturer, has a pipeline of lithium-ion and sodium-ion cells in the scale-up phase with UKBIC.

This collaboration is supporting the business’ growth plans as it optimises its manufacturing process to deliver mass production volumes that will help electrify homes, industries and vehicles. AMTE Power’s CEO, Kevin Brundish, said: “Our partnership with UKBIC is a crucial stepping stone as we scale up our cell production rates to large-scale manufacturing levels.

Coupled with testing being done at our existing facility in Thurso, it means we can provide greater certainty on cost and reliability of supply. This means getting cells into our customers hands faster – accelerating the energy transition for our core markets in energy storage and automotive. It’s fantastic to be doing this work at a UK-based facility, championing homegrown battery IP and supporting the future of British manufacturing jobs.”

Battery technology pioneer Britishvolt, focused on development of next-generation battery cell technologies and associated research and development, has a two-year contract with UKBIC to further develop and manufacture its high nickel electric vehicle sample cells for mass production at its approved Giga-plant, which is currently being built in Northumberland. With the project already exceeding expectations, Phase One, Go-to-Market, production is set to start at the Cambois site from 2024, unlocking Britain’s potential to catch up with Europe, and Asia, in battery development.

Graham Hoare , President of Global Operations, Britishvolt, commented: “UKBIC is an essential ingredient in BV’s accelerated roadmap to market, providing a platform and environment that delivers high quality development cells in a time period that would be almost impossible in other territories.” “Technology proving and scale-up for manufacture, which is being carried out at the UKBIC facility, is crucial to the success of the UK plan and will see the UK maintain the strength of its automotive industry.”

Ilika, pioneer in solid state battery technology, is also collaborating with UKBIC on a newly launched six-month economic feasibility study to understand what is required to create a dedicated 100 MWh solid state battery manufacturing line within the UKBIC facilities. -endsNotes to Editors: About UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) The £130 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) is a pioneering concept in the race to develop battery technology for the transition to a greener future.

The unique facility provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production. Based in Coventry, the publicly-funded battery product development facility welcomes manufacturers, entrepreneurs, researchers and educators, and can be accessed by any organisation with existing or new battery technology – if that technology will bring green jobs and prosperity to the UK.

In addition to funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge through UK Research and Innovation, UKBIC is also part-funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority. The project has been delivered through a consortium of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick.

UKBIC was created in 2018 following a competition led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre with support from Innovate UK. About Faraday Battery Challenge: To deliver net zero for transport we need to invest in facilities and research and development projects to drive the growth of a strong battery business in the UK.

The £330 million Faraday Battery Challenge is playing a vital role in establishing and allowing a policy framework for battery and original equipment manufacturing across the UK. It has already given over £90 million to UK businesses for projects looking at improving battery lifespan, range, charging rate and the reuse, remanufacture and recycling of batteries.

The Challenge has also created an independent research institute - the Faraday Institution and helped develop the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, the first facility of its kind in the world. For more information, go to Faraday battery challenge – UKRI.

UKBIC installs Asterion Wedge Bonder

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 15:06:12 GMT

Inseto, a leading technical distributor of equipment and materials, has supplied and installed a Kulicke & Soffa (K&S) Asterion EV hybrid wedge bonder at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

The Asterion EV gives the national battery manufacturing development facility, UKBIC, the ability to provide a wider range of welding technologies to its customers. The new wirebonder – specially created to support battery module manufacturing – complements the facility’s existing laser welding capability, meaning the facility can now offer different welding technologies dependent on the application. Andrew Britton, UKBIC’s Business Development Manager, said: “We’re delighted to be collaborating with Inseto on the installation of this new bonder at UKBIC, meaning that we can offer more welding choice to our customers.

The bonder also features a non-destructive inline pull test capability to check weld quality. Also, with wirebonding, cells can be reworked and recycled more easily at end of life.”

Matt Brown, Managing Director of Inseto, added: “We’re delighted to be collaborating with UKBIC so that they can offer wirebonding as a means of interconnecting the many cells in a battery pack.

Laser welding and ultrasonic wirebonding processes both have roles to play in battery pack manufacturing, but it’s the latter’s ability to place suitably sized wires that can act as individual fuses for each and every cell that’s got people interested.

Also, there’s no need to pre-form complex busbars, which is the case for laser welding.

The K&S Asterion EV, one of the most advanced bonders in the battery sector, is ultrasonic and uses ambient temperature ‘friction welding.’ It can place and bond aluminium wire in the 100 to 600µm diameter range and copper wire in the 100 to 500µm diameter range.

Ilika begins Solid State Battery Assessment at UKBIC

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 14:16:44 GMT

Ilika, pioneers of Solid State Battery (SSB) technology for electric vehicles, has started a six-month economic feasibility study with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) to understand what is required to create a dedicated 100 MWh SSB manufacturing line within the UKBIC facilities.

The Ilika-led collaborative project is supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) through its Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) which aims to clarify the way forward for industrialisation of solid state batteries in the UK.

The project follows the recent successful APC-funded SOLSTICE project between Ilika and Comau, part of Stellantis, which concluded that there were no barriers to scaling-up Ilika’s Goliath solid state battery technology for electric vehicles and delivered a plant design for a megascale manufacturing facility. The project with the UK battery manufacturing development facility will now look at the cost implications of placing a megascale solid state battery line at UKBIC to enable Ilika’s Goliath electric vehicle batteries to be manufactured at scale.

If feasible, and in the best interests of UKBIC and Ilika, this line would support Ilika’s OEM customers’ validation and testing programmes, and would follow Ilika’s current plan to scale its pre-pilot line production capacity from 50 kWh per year to 2 MWh per year to meet current commitments.

Solid state batteries are seen as likely successors of lithium-ion batteries which are presently used in electric vehicles, with the market for SSB technologies for automotive and other applications expected to grow significantly in the future.

Ilika’s Goliath SSB technology is a unique solid state pouch cell, based on a solid oxide electrolyte and silicon anode. Being fully solid state, the batteries do not contain the liquid electrolyte present in lithium-ion batteries, leading to potential improvements in terms of power and energy both at cell and pack level, through simplified packaging, battery management and cooling systems.

Ian Constance, Chief Executive of the APC said:

“We’re really interested to see the outcomes of Ilika’s feasibility study. To fully decarbonise the automotive sector we have to transition the EV supply chain at scale and pace and this study will explore opportunities for the UK to rapidly grow manufacturing in some of the most globally advanced and in-demand vehicle technologies, which in turn will lead to highly-skilled jobs and green growth.”

Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, commented:

“This feasibility study with Ilika has the potential to lead to a dedicated solid state line being built at UKBIC. With demand for electrification increasing, it’s important that there are a wide range of technologies available, for now, the mid-term and the long-term future. We’re excited to find out what the future holds for solid state batteries, a potentially game changing battery technology for the UK.”

Graeme Purdy, Ilika CEO, stated:

“This project represents the next logical step in Ilika’s scale-up plans for its Goliath technology, building on important work in our earlier programmes.

Ilika and UKBIC entered into a Framework Agreement at the end of 2020 on the basis that when the time was right, we would assess the feasibility of placing an Ilika megascale Solid State Battery line at the UKBIC facility, utilising the expertise and existing equipment alongside the bespoke solid state battery equipment identified in the SOLSTICE programme.

The time is now right: the scale up of Ilika’s manufacturing capability for Goliath solid state batteries has gained strong momentum as we accelerate towards delivering the batteries to the automotive markets.”

Good Samaritans climb Snowdon

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Wed, 25 May 2022 10:30:21 GMT

Good Samaritans from UKBIC to climb Snowdon in aid of the Air Ambulance

Good Samaritans from the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre in Baginton are aiming to raise £1,700 for the local air ambulance by climbing Snowdon.

The party of 17 plan to walk to the summit using the popular Llanberis Path later this month (May 28) and raise the necessary funds to cover the cost of single flight for the helicopter.

The Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) operates under The Air Ambulance Service which also runs the Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance, as well as the national paediatric and neonatal transfer service, the Children’s Air Ambulance, covering the whole of the UK.

The Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance does not receive government or National Lottery funding for its daily missions. It relies entirely on voluntary donations and support from its local communities and business. Ian Vickers, who heads up UKBIC’s voluntary Energy Action fundraising group, said: “The team are eager to get the walk-up Snowdon underway.

WNAA is such a fantastic cause and keen to partner us in any way they can.

When the charity committee were deciding on who would be the company’s charity, it made perfect sense to support a local charity and you can’t get much more local than our neighbours on the other side of our fence.

We have many plans to support this fabulous charity in other ways in the future.

” With the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance base also in Baginton, the team at UKBIC often see the charity’s iconic yellow and grey helicopter take to the skies on lifesaving missions.

WNAA Community Fundraising Executive, George May, adds: “The support of our local communities and businesses is so important to our charity as we rely solely on generous donations.

I’d like to say good luck, and a huge thank you to the team at UKBIC for challenging themselves to raise funds for our service.

“Our crews are available, 24/7, 365 days a year, so support like this means that we can continue to deliver our lifesaving, frontline critical care to those who need it most.”

Anyone wishing to donate can do so here

John Poli to the post

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Tue, 24 May 2022 10:37:35 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) appointsJohn Poli to the post of Manufacturing Operations Director

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has appointed John Poli to the post of Manufacturing Operations Director.

John is responsible for the facility’s manufacturing capability and is part of UKBIC’s Executive team, reporting to the Managing Director, Jeff Pratt. Before joining UKBIC, John ran his own engineering consultancy, specialising in manufacturing engineering. Prior to that he was Jaguar Land Rover’s Power Train Manufacturing Engineering Director, responsible for global engine, electric drive and battery manufacturing.

John had a 30-year career at JLR, eventually leading the team that created production systems and advanced technologies to enable electric propulsion. John Poli, UKBIC Manufacturing Operations Director, said: “I’m delighted to be joining UKBIC at this exciting time, helping to accelerate electrification in the UK and beyond.

To be at the cutting edge of battery development is something I’m excited about and one of the key reasons I wanted to join UKBIC.” Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “It’s great to have John join our growing team, helping UKBIC to play a key role in developing and stimulating the race to a greener future.

John’s knowledge and experience will be a great asset to the business.” UKBIC is a £130 million 20,000 square metre pioneering battery manufacturing development facility, which provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production.

The facility was opened last year by the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, the Prime Minister.

About UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC)

The £130 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) is a pioneering concept in the race to develop battery technology for the transition to a greener future.

The unique battery manufacturing development facility provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production.

Based in Coventry, the publicly-funded battery product development facility welcomes manufacturers, entrepreneurs, researchers and educators, and can be accessed by any organisation with existing or new battery technology – if that technology will bring green jobs and prosperity to the UK.

In addition to funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge through UK Research and Innovation, UKBIC is also part-funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The project has been delivered through a consortium of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick.

UKBIC was created in 2018 following a competition led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre with support from Innovate UK.

UKBIC and the Fraunhofer Research Institution

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Wed, 04 May 2022 11:08:48 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) and the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB sign landmark Memorandum of Understanding

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) and Germany’s Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to focus on future collaboration between the two organisations.

The MoU was signed during a recent visit to the UK battery manufacturing development facility in Coventry by senior leaders from the Fraunhofer FFB.

The MoU is a first step in assessing the potential for the two international groups to co-operate and work more closely together. Areas of potential mutual co-operation include joint participation in European research and development of consortia and strategically important projects, the development of a European battery technology roadmap, sharing best practice and experience of cell production, and championing of innovation and technology in battery cell production.

Jeff Pratt , UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “We’re delighted to have signed this landmark memorandum between the two organisations. The MoU sets out our intention for both UKBIC and the Fraunhofer FFB to collaborate more closely together in the future, paving the way for joint pan-European projects to accelerate battery development.”

Jens Tübke , Chief Executive Officer of The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB, added: “UKBIC and Fraunhofer FFB have a common goal, namely, to provide innovations for efficient and sustainable battery cell production for European industry. This is our common basis for future collaboration.”

UKBIC was opened last year by the British Prime Minister, the Right Hon Boris Johnson MP, and the Fraunhofer FFB, which is now under construction, is due to be opened in Münster. The focus of both organisations are on the scale-up of battery technology.

UKBIC achieves ISO 9001:2015 certification

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:06:28 GMT

UKBIC achieves ISO 9001:2015 certification

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has achieved certification against an internationally recognised standard for its work in developing its Quality Management System (QMS).

The organisation was assessed for its approach to quality planning across the organisation.

To achieve ISO 9001:2015 certification, UKBIC, which provides battery manufacturing scale-up and facilitates upskilling in the battery sector, was initially audited in May 2021. It then went through a second audit in December 2021, before certification was granted in February 2022.

Jeff Pratt, UKBIC Managing Director, said:

“Achieving this certification is fantastic news for us, our customers, and the growing UK battery industry. I am extremely proud of my team for their outstanding work in securing this certification. This demonstrates our commitment to ensuring quality and providing the best possible service to our customers. We are dedicated to constant improvement and development; and achieving and maintaining certification to ISO 9001:2015 ensures we have the right processes and systems in place for this to happen.”

Dr Ahmad Mohsseni, UKBIC’s Chief Technology Officer, added:

“I’m very pleased that UKBIC, only months after being opened by the Prime Minister, has achieved this certification, something we are all extremely proud of. To learn that we have met the requirements of the standard is testament to the hard work carried out by colleagues across the organisation.”

Matt Page, BSI’s Managing Director UK and Ireland, added:

“By achieving certification to ISO 9001, UKBIC will provide confidence to its customers and stakeholders that it is carrying out best practice in quality management and is focused on continually improving its products and services. Huge congratulations to the team at UKBIC – they should be very proud of this achievement.”

UKBIC has been created to support UK industry with development of battery technologies for future electrification.

Britishvolt signs agreement with UKBIC

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 13:49:45 GMT

Britishvolt signs agreement to scale-up next generation cell technologies with UKBIC

Battery pioneer, Britishvolt, has entered into a two-year, £ multi-million agreement with the renowned UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), to develop, assemble and manufacture its next generation sample cells for mass production and commercialization.

It has also successfully developed its first Production Intent next generation Li-ion cells, which are exceeding its expectations, using UK developed intellectual property, and puts Britishvolt on a glidepath to its first commercial products.

Britishvolt are developing improved electric vehicle high energy, high nickel Li-ion battery cells that give customers increased battery performance with longer range for vehicles and brand specific characteristics.

High technical maturity development cells manufactured and tested at the close of 2021, at UKBIC, exceeded expectations and show that Britishvolt’s world-class research and technology developments, combined with UKBIC industrialisation and scale up capability, are already promising the battery cell solutions of the future.

HM Government announced January 21 their support for Britishvolt via an in principle offer of funding made through the Automotive Transformation Fund. This enabled a long-term partnership with Trixtax and abrdn that will deliver £1.7bn in private funding. This historic investment will help propel the UK’s successful energy transition on the road to zero.

Britishvolt’s planned Gigaplant in Northumberland aligns with the Government’s ambition to level-up the Northeast, protect the UK’s national automotive sector and put Britain at the centre of the global battery industry.

Northumberland, 24/01/2022:

Battery pioneer, Britishvolt, is proud to announce a two-year multi-million pound [£] co-development framework with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) to produce its next generation of battery cells. Initial solutions will focus on high nickel, increased energy density materials to produce and test batteries with greater performance and range.

Coventry-based UKBIC, a national battery manufacturing development facility providing battery manufacturing scale-up in the battery sector, has a fast growing reputation for battery R&D which will put Britain at the front of the race to become a battery and technology powerhouse.

This news is a major milestone in Britishvolt’s mission to help car makers on their roadmap to improved electrification and demonstrates the huge demand for batteries in the Race to Zero.

Graham Hoare, President of Global Operations, Britishvolt, said:

“UKBIC is an essential ingredient in BV’s accelerated roadmap to market, providing a platform and environment that delivers high quality development cells in a time period that would be almost impossible in other territories.

We are extremely pleased with the service offered by UKBIC and the promising results we’re seeing. By working with our customers early we can offer flexibility and specific attributes linked to their application requirements.

This is a vital USP and signals that the age of “off the peg” battery production is no longer suitable for all.

This is further endorsement of the work the UK Government has done to help develop the world’s best battery ecosystem and accelerate Britain into pole position in Europe. Low carbon, sustainable battery cells, and associated R&D, are the essential ingredients on the glidepath to net zero.

Only responsibly produced batteries will lead to a successful energy transition.”

Jeff Pratt, Managing Director, The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, added:

“We’re delighted to be entering into a two-year, multimillion pound agreement with Britishvolt to develop, assemble and manufacture their next generation sample cells for mass production and commercialisation.

The manufacture of low carbon battery cells are vital for a successful energy transition to Net Zero.

We are here to support UK companies scaling up their battery production and up skilling their workforce, and we welcome the opportunity to support Britishvolt on their journey.”

Dr Allan Paterson, Chief Technical Officer, Britishvolt, commented:

“This is an incredibly exciting achievement, allowing us to successfully scale up our tailormade battery cells, designed specifically for customer requirements.

The UK ecosystem for battery development has enabled us to get to this stage we are immensely pleased to announce the relationship with UKBIC that will support our development activities going forward.”

Who is UKBIC?

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), which was opened by the Rt Hon Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister in July 2021, is a national battery manufacturing development facility providing battery manufacturing scale-up and facilitating upskilling in the battery sector.

The publicly-funded facility welcomes manufacturers, entrepreneurs, researchers and educators, and can be accessed by any organisation looking to scale battery technologies – if that technology will bring green jobs and prosperity to the UK. The state-of-the-art facility – described by the Prime Minister as “a beacon of innovation and ingenuity” – has been developed to support UK industry to bring to market battery technologies for future electrification.

In addition to funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge through UK Research and Innovation, UKBIC is also part-funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The project has been delivered through a consortium of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick. UKBIC was created in 2018 following a competition led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre with support from Innovate UK.

Britishvolt story to date:

Britishvolt is on target to responsibly manufacture some of the world’s most sustainable, low carbon, sustainable, battery cells on the site of the former Blyth Power Station in Cambois, Northumberland.

The development is a major boost for Northumberland and Britain and will bring around 3,000 direct highly-skilled jobs and another 5,000+ in the associated supply chains.

Advanced works started on the site in September 2021, following a unanimous planning decision approval. The project will be built in phases, to keep up with technology advancements, and will have a total capacity of over 30GWh by the end of the decade.

At capacity, the Gigaplant will produce enough cells for over 300,000 electric vehicle battery packs per year, intended primarily for the automotive industry. It will be the first large full cycle Gigaplant in the UK.

Britishvolt believes that locally produced, low carbon, sustainable, responsibly manufactured battery cells can literally help save the planet. The time has come to transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable, low carbon electricity.

WMG appoints Dr Ahmad Mohsseni

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 11:17:27 GMT

WMG appoints Dr Ahmad Mohsseni as new Honorary Associate Professor

Dr Ahmad Mohsseni, Chief Technology Officer at UKBIC , has been made an Honorary Associate Professor at WMG.

Dr Ahmad Mohsseni joined UKBIC in April 2019, where he sits on the executive committee – the team responsible for delivering and operating the Centre. Dr Mohsseni is responsible for Engineering and Quality specifically.

Prior to this Dr Mohsseni was team leader, project manager and research associate at RWTH Aachen University, and a management consultant at McKinsey and Company.

He holds Bachelor and two Master of Science degrees from RWTH Aachen University in Economics, Manufacturing Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, as well as a PhD in engineering.

Professor David Greenwood , Director for industrial Engagement at WMG comments: “I am delighted for us to deepen the research relationship between UKBIC and WMG through the appointment of Dr Ahmad Mohsseni as Honorary Associate Professor. Ahmad, as CTO of UKBIC has worked closely with the research team at WMG in the fields of battery electrochemistry and battery manufacturing, and his scientific and technical knowledge will contribute greatly to our joint research agenda in the future.”

Jeff Pratt , UKBIC’s Managing Director, said: “I’m delighted with Ahmad’s appointment as Honorary Associate Professor at WMG, at the University of Warwick. This appointment, alongside his role as Chief Technology Officer at UKBIC, recognises Ahmad’s valuable contribution to the development of UKBIC, a facility created to support UK industry with development of battery technologies for future electrification. He will be a great asset to the University.”

In his role as Honorary Associate Professor, Dr Mohsseni will share his expertise by giving seminars and contributing to joint research with WMG staff.

AMTE Power launches 'Power Up' project

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 09:56:56 GMT

The Power Up project will combine Imperial College London’s research and UKBIC’s battery manufacturing capabilities, to bridge the gap from prototype to mass production.

AMTE Power has secured a project from the Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge, worth £1 million, to develop a higher energy density variant of its Ultra High-Power (UHP) lithium-ion cell, with support from Imperial College London for battery modelling.

amtepower.com

30 new roles available at UKBIC

faye.holloway@ukbic.co.uk — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 10:53:36 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), which was officially opened in July by the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, the Prime Minister, is set to add 30 new battery roles to support the first large customer projects it has secured.

The new national battery manufacturing development facility in Coventry, which employs more than 80 engineers, technicians and back-office staff, needs to grow its workforce by 35 per cent so that it can fulfil its orders from the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and battery developers it is working with.

UKBIC is looking to fill senior manufacturing engineers, process engineers, senior control technicians and project co-ordinators roles, and is looking to recruit from sectors with transferrable skills, such as the automotive, pharmaceutical manufacturing, FMCG, reel to reel manufacturing, printing and high-speed automation.

The facility, which is open for use by organisations working on batteries for electric vehicles, rail, aerospace, industrial and domestic equipment and static energy storage, is a key part of the UK Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge, created to fast track the commercialisation of cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe, low-weight and recyclable batteries.

UKBIC HR Director, Damian Pearce, said: “The end of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 has the potential to put jobs in the traditional UK automotive industry at risk. The prospect of joining an organisation that is at the cutting edge of the new green industrial revolution should resonate with a lot of people. There is no better time to switch to the battery sector.”

For more information, email: recruitment.selection@ukbic.co.uk

UKBIC hosts Cenex LCV seminar on developing UK gigafactories

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 11:41:17 GMT

UKBIC has (today) hosted a seminar for Cenex’s 14th Low Carbon Vehicle event, on Developing UK Gigafactories.

The seminar will be streamed online on Tuesday 21 September starting at 4pm and will then be available for a month.

The seminar – the first time that LCV has held a physical session away from the main LCV conference – was recorded live in UKBIC’s main process hall.

Developing UK Gigafactories:

Welcome, Robert Evans, Cenex
Chair’s Introduction, Jacqui Murray, Faraday Battery Challenge at UK Research and Innovation
Why the UK needs 7 Gigafactories? Stephen Gifford, Faraday Institution
Scaling up for UK Gigafactories – UK Battery Technology: Powering the Way to Net Zero, Tony Harper, Faraday Battery Challenge at UK Research and Innovation
Introducing UKBIC, Jeff Pratt, UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC)
The Next Generation of High-Performance Battery Cells and Gigfactory Production in the UK, Steven Farmer, ATME Power; Building a UK Gigafactory Chris Caygill, Envision AESC

The seminar will be first streamed on Tuesday 21 September starting at 4pm. Click here to register: Cenex-LCV2021 Online Speakers & Seminars

The seminar is part of an extensive programme on offer, and will be a hybrid of in-person and virtual seminars, with online sessions running throughout this week, and in-person seminars taking place at UTAC Millbrook Proving Ground, 22 & 23 September.

To keep up to date with Cenex’s 14th Low Carbon Vehicle event, LCV2021, and its 3rd Connected Automated Mobility Event, CAM2021, visit www.cenex-lcv.co.uk or www.cenex-cam.co.uk , or follow @LCV_event on Twitter.

Revolutionising the manufacturing industry through digitalisation

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 10:58:36 GMT

Until now, smaller manufacturing companies have missed out on the productivity benefits of digital technologies and data-driven solutions.

Too many manufacturers don’t know where to start, and lack the skills required to deploy and use digital solutions. The costs are perceived to be high and the return on investment is unclear.

Earlier this year, a consortium which included the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) was awarded funding through the Government’s Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge to tackle this problem by developing the Smart InforMation PLatform and Ecosystem for Manufacturing (SIMPLE).

Project SIMPLE brings the benefits of digitalisation to manufacturers for whom the technology, skills, and business benefits are currently inaccessible. The project is delivering a platform that is fast to deploy, easy to use, cost-effective, and versatile. And it is being supported by an ecosystem that addresses skills and training requirements.

The consortium includes a wide range of end-user, academic, and technology partners to provide the necessary breadth of expertise:

UKBIC is seeking a vendor independent solution that can support their short-term objectives and scale up rapidly to support multiple production campaigns in the future
Innovare Systems (construction) is representative of SMEs seeking to improve their operations through the deployment of digital capabilities, but have a low skill level in the domain, bare bones IT capabilities and low levels of automation
Lear Corporation (automotive) is representative of global organisations challenged by their operational complexity, the diversity of technologies deployed in production, fragmented software landscape and data repositories
WMG, University of Warwick is a world leading research and education group, transforming organisations and driving innovation through a unique combination of collaborative research and development, and pioneering education programmes
The Science and Technology Facilities Council is a government agency that carries out research in science and engineering. The focus for project SIMPLE is on knowledge representations and knowledge models relevant to manufacturing
Fully Distributed Systems (FDS), AI Idea Factory and 4thWall Virtual develop engineering tools, industrial software components and supply related services.

The benefits of SIMPLE are being validated via deployment of the platform at the end-user partners’ facilities – demonstrating the value in three different use cases. The deployment of a skills training system at WMG, University of Warwick, is also validating the skills and training proposition.

Project SIMPLE is co-funded by the businesses in the consortium and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, through the Manufacturing Made Smarter Competition. The Manufacturing Made Smarter Round 1 Competition offers grant funding investment in projects that focus on the use of industrial digital technologies (IDTs) to transform the productivity and agility of UK manufacturing. Of 34 applications submitted, project SIMPLE is one of 14 projects approved following independent assessment and expert review.

Matt Patching of the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre said: “The SIMPLE toolset will help us deliver battery technologies and processes to industry at a rapid rate. The flexible design will be compatible with our range of manufacturing processes, ranging from electrode and cell assembly, to module and pack; and will consistently present the relevant information. The scalable nature means that new promising technologies in the battery field can be implemented into our digital systems as quickly as it can be installed at our site.”

Dr Daniel Vera, from WMG at the University of Warwick comments: “At WMG, we will be focussing on making sure that manufacturers become fluent in deploying and using digital systems. Our training platform will mean that manufacturers can confidently use data-driven methods and digital solutions to optimise their processes, which in turn can speed up their project delivery and significantly improve their business operations.”

Jason Powell of Innovare Systems adds: “The technology is important as it offers greater operational transparency, which allows greater scrutiny of performance whilst maintaining the production activities’ live information. Additionally, this system can also be used as a tool to drive production efficiency through optimising performance which will increase capacity. We are expecting this technology to boost productivity by 10% even from the early deployment.”

The project will engage the wider manufacturing community to ensure the SIMPLE platform and methodology addresses the widest set of manufacturers’ needs.

For further information, please contact peter.hopkinson@fullydistributedsystems.com.

UK-based consortium established to develop prototype solid-state batteries

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 11:26:46 GMT

MOU signed between Johnson Matthey, Faraday Institution, Britishvolt, Oxford University, UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, Emerson & Renwick and University of Warwick.

A consortium of seven UK-based organisations has signed a memorandum of understanding to combine ambitions to develop world-leading prototype solid-state battery technology, targeting automotive applications.

Solid-state batteries offer significant potential advantages over conventional lithium-ion batteries and could be transformational in meeting the UK’s net zero commitments through the electrification of transport. The successful outcome of the collaboration would be to harness and industrialise UK academic capability to produce cells using highly scalable manufacturing techniques that leapfrog the cost-effectiveness and performance achieved elsewhere.

The consortium comprises the following world-leading organisations in battery research, development and manufacturing:

Faraday Institution – the UK’s independent institute for electrochemical energy storage research, which has led the consortium’s formation and will lead its development.
Britishvolt – the UK-based Gigaplant developer, with a site in NE England.
E+R (Emerson & Renwick) – a world leading designer of manufacturing equipment.
Johnson Matthey – a global leader in sustainable technologies and the UK’s leading battery materials business.
Oxford University – that leads the Faraday Institution’s solid-state battery project (SOLBAT) and provides the necessary scientific understanding to the consortium.
UK Battery Industrialisation Centre – the pioneering battery manufacturing development facility to enable UK battery manufacturing scale-up and facilitate upskilling in the battery sector.
WMG, University of Warwick – leaders in battery R&D and initial scale-up capability, as well as academic and apprenticeship skills development.

The preliminary design for a prototyping facility has been developed. Sources of funding are currently being sought.

Minister for Investment Lord Grimstone said: “Collaboration between industry, government and our world-leading academic institutions is putting the UK at the forefront of global efforts to develop innovative automotive technologies, such as solid-state batteries.

“It is the work of our internationally-renowned research and development base, like those brought together by this consortium, that will give us the tools needed to forge a strong and sustainable future for the automotive sector and increase our contribution to combatting climate change.”

“I am delighted to be able to announce the formation of this unique consortium for the advancement of solid-state battery prototyping that includes leading UK-based organisations at many stages in the value chain,” said Professor Pam Thomas, CEO of Faraday Institution. “Our leadership in this venture signals a move towards a role that the Faraday Institution will increasingly play as a trusted convener of significant partnerships between UK industry and academia as a route to commercialise breakthrough science emerging from our research programmes to maximise UK economic value.”

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) offer significant potential advantages over existing lithium-ion battery technologies, including the ability to hold more charge for a given volume (leading to increased electric vehicle (EV) range) and reduced costs of safety-management. Early deployment of SSBs is likely to be in consumer electronics, niche automotive applications and unmanned aerospace, before being used in broader EV markets. The Faraday Institution forecasts that, in 2030, SSBs are likely to take a 7% share of the global consumer electronics battery market and a 4% share of the EV battery market . Global SSB revenues from sales to EV manufacturers are expected to reach $8 billion by 2030 and then grow rapidly to 2040 and 2050 when the market is expected to become extensive.

However, there are fundamental scientific challenges that need to be addressed before high power SSBs with commercially relevant performance can be realised. The Faraday Institution’s SOLBAT project has made considerable progress in addressing these challenges over the last three years.

The construction of the one-of-a-kind facility being developed by the collaboration will enable SSB technology to emerge from UK university laboratories. It will allow larger cells to be produced using scalable manufacturing techniques that will be improved iteratively through deep investigation of the causes of problems that emerge during manufacture and testing of prototype batteries. This will leverage the collective knowledge of Faraday Institution SSB researchers and the industrial partners.

Christian Gunther, CEO, Battery Materials at Johnson Matthey comments, “The realisation of a prototype solid-state battery cell will be a great achievement for the UK battery industry, and this consortium will be a critical enabler for delivering this milestone. Delivering enhanced range and safety over traditional lithium-ion battery technologies will be a key driver for battery electric vehicle adoption, supporting the transition to a net zero future.”

Dr Allan Paterson, Chief Technology Officer, Britishvolt comments , “Solid-state is the holy grail of battery solutions. Solid-state batteries have the potential to increase energy density significantly over battery technology available today and could dramatically, and positively, change the world of electric vehicles. Britishvolt will be at the forefront of commercialising this step change over the coming years. This collaboration, which includes major global industrial leaders such as Johnson Matthey and academic leadership from University of Oxford, underscores another key objective in our technology roadmap – home grown intellectual property.”

Professor Peter Bruce, Principal Investigator of SOLBAT, comments : “It’s fantastic to see the culmination of combined UK academic strength in solid-state battery research come to fruition. I’m proud that the work of the Faraday Institution SOLBAT project, led by Oxford University, will make a significant contribution to the UK’s green energy revolution.”

Ian Whiting, Commercial Director at UKBIC added: “Our newly opened national battery manufacturing scale up facility is already contracted to scale new cells and battery packs by companies basing their manufacturing centres in the UK. It’s a really exciting time for this fast-growing industry. We’re scaling technologies that will be the core products of the UK’s emergent Gigafactories. But we need to think even further ahead and solid-state battery technology is going to be a big part of that. This collaboration is what is needed to give the UK the edge it needs in creating a centre of excellence for solid-state batteries and we’re excited to be part of it. The bringing together of academic and industrial know how in this space is key to unlocking Britain’s electrified potential.”

David Greenwood, Professor of Advanced Propulsion Systems, and CEO of WMG High Value Manufacturing Catapult comments: “Early forms of solid-state battery are already around us, but we have yet to see solutions which are both mass-manufacturable and meet the performance and cost targets for future transport applications. There remains huge opportunity for innovation in this space, and this initiative will provide the route for the UK to fast-track candidate technologies to industrialisation.”

Andrew C Jack, Sales Director, E&R Group comments , “E&R Group are delighted to be contributing our world renowned engineering expertise working in partnership Faraday and the wider consortium on this exciting development for next generation battery production for the UK.”

UKRI invests £10 million to support R&D projects

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 11:50:42 GMT

Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has announced a further investment of £10 million from the Faraday Battery Challenge to support collaborative R&D projects co-funded by industry and managed by UKRI.

At least two of the 17 projects will use UKBIC, the pioneering battery manufacturing development facility UKBIC recently opened by the Prime Minister, to help deliver the projects.

UKBIC has been developed to support UK industry with development of battery technologies for future electrification. The facility is a key part of the Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge, created to fast track the commercialisation of cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe, low-weight and recyclable batteries.

The Power-Up project will establish the feasibility of manufacturing AMTE Power’s Ultra High Power cells in the UK, at volume manufacturing scale. The aim is to have an automotive format cell ready for production at UKBIC by the end of the 12-month project. AMTE will engage with potential UK customers for these cells, providing them early mover advantage

SABRE (Silicon Anode Battery for Rapid Electrification), led by Nexeon, is aiming to deliver an advanced lithium-ion cell design incorporating a novel silicon anode that has the potential to increase the range of electric vehicles. Nexeon’s silicon material with high lithium capacity and low volume change on cycling is being used as a basis.

Britishvolt will apply innovative computer-aided cell design and simulation to accelerate the integration of silicon into the anode design. Analysis will be carried out using X-ray computed tomography developed at UCL’s Electrochemical Innovation Lab and refined as part of the Faraday Institution’s project on battery degradation. The project will utilise the new cell assembly capabilities at UKBIC for the fabrication of cells to test and validate the new cell design.

Tony Harper Challenge Director for Faraday Battery Challenge at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) said: “Since 2017 the Faraday Battery Challenge has been supporting the UK’s battery companies to produce batteries that are more cost effective, more efficient, charge faster and can easily be recycled.

“This new round of funding enables us to support companies across the battery supply chain and build on the UK’s world class research and innovation. Two projects, Power-UP and SABRE, combine industry partners with input from the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre and the Faraday Institution to deliver a product that has the potential of being a best-in-class cell with unique selling points.”

To read the full UKRI announcement, click here.

UKBIC opened by Prime Minister Boris Johnson MP

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 11:10:36 GMT

£130 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) opened by The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister.

The £130 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has today (15 July 2021) been officially opened by The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister formally opened the pioneering 18,500 square metre national battery manufacturing development facility during a visit to the UK City of Culture, Coventry, in the West Midlands.

15/07/2021. Coventry, United Kingdom. The Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers his Levelling Up speech at the UKBIC production factory. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street

The state-of-the-art national facility has been developed to support UK industry with development of battery technologies for future electrification. This will support the UK’s ambitious climate change targets, which includes achieving ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2050 and, for the automotive sector, an end to the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.

UKBIC can be used by any organisation working on batteries for electric vehicles, rail, aerospace, industrial and domestic equipment and static energy storage, who can benefit from finding out whether their advanced technologies can be scaled up successfully before committing to the huge investment required for mass production. The facility employs more than 80 battery technicians, engineers, and support staff, with plans for that number to grow to support future project partnerships with industry and research organisations.

Speaking during his visit, The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister, said: “UKBIC is a beacon of innovation and ingenuity- shining the way for a brighter, greener future for the battery sector in the UK. It was an honour to open this world-class facility today and I cannot think of a more fitting backdrop here in Coventry to speak about the government’s ambitious agenda to level up across the UK.

“This facility will help to deliver green growth and jobs as industrial demand accelerates in the UK battery sector. With the technology and government backed expertise on offer right here in Coventry, I have no doubt that UKBIC will become world leaders in the industry.”

Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “I’m delighted that UKBIC is open for business. Completed at deliberate speed during the pandemic, UKBIC is a key part of the UK Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge, created to fast track the commercialisation of cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe, low-weight and recyclable batteries.

“The battery manufacturing equipment installed covers the whole production process from electrode manufacturing, cylindrical and pouch cell assembly, to formation aging and testing and battery modules and packs. The facility is also a training centre to upskill the UK battery sector.

“The importance of the battery sector to the UK economy cannot be underestimated. The Faraday Institution believes that the equivalent of seven large gigafactories will be needed in the UK and employment in the automotive industry and battery supply chain could grow from 170,000 to 220,000 by 2040.

“As we all look to recover from the impact of Coronavirus, we have the opportunity to help make the UK a global leader in batteries, with UKBIC and the Faraday Institution supporting the UK battery industry to become world leaders.”

Tony Harper, Faraday Battery Challenge’s Challenge Director, commented: “It is fantastic to have UKBIC declared open for business today. This complex state of the art facility that, despite the pandemic, has been delivered at least two years ahead of its nearest international rival will help ensure the UK fully prospers from the transition to electric vehicles. Jeff and the team deserve huge credit for this phenomenal achievement. This centre is an important part of the Faraday Battery Challenge at UK Research & Innovation. The highly coordinated challenge has a targeted £330 million programme of investment ranging from the creation of a battery “Science Superpower” in the Faraday Institution to scaling high-technology, high growth business and now to providing a world-class industrialisation capability. Having UKBIC open means we can help businesses focus on decarbonising all forms of transportation and support the UK’s push for net zero.”

David Greenwood, Professor of Advanced Propulsion Systems, WMG at the University of Warwick said “We are delighted to see UKBIC come to fruition. Battery production is critical to the future of the UK automotive sector, the electrification agenda, and achieving a sustainable future for industry. It is something that WMG identified back in 2016, and we were elated to win the bid to establish what is now UKBIC. At the heart of the UK battery manufacturing landscape, this national infrastructure exists nowhere else in Europe, and gives the UK a major advantage for development of new battery technologies. We continue to work very closely with UKBIC, with the focus at WMG in helping companies and universities prove out their battery chemistries and cell designs, ready for industrialisation at UKBIC. Together, we have built an ecosystem which allows battery companies to investigate new technologies, prove them out, then industrialise for high volume manufacture.”

Councillor George Duggins, Leader of Coventry City Council, said , “Coventry led the way in the development of the combustion engine and now we are leading the green industrial revolution. The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre is nationally important and it will help us speed up the transition to cleaner and greener transport, creating jobs at UKBIC but also in the local supply chain. It has been made possible thanks to some great partnership working and I am delighted that it is now officially open.”

Sarah Windrum, Chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), said: “This world-leading facility is one of the key drivers of the CWLEP’s Strategic Reset Framework to ensure our reputation for innovation continues to develop and grow as well as create highly-skilled jobs.

“UKBIC emphasises Coventry and Warwickshire’s growing reputation as a global leader for battery technology and we hope to continue to build on that as the West Midlands location for a Gigafactory.”

“It is a cutting-edge research facility that will enable the scale up and manufacture of batteries that power the electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and autonomous vehicles of the future. Supported by some of the best R&D facilities in the world; two leading universities recruiting the best and brightest; and a skilled workforce we are ready to lead the way in the new-look motor industry.

“The submission of a planning application for a Gigafactory is the important next step as we seek to deliver battery production for the West Midlands. It’s a very exciting time for UKBIC and the sector as a whole.”

Ian Constance, CEO of the Advanced Propulsion Centre said: “It was a great opportunity to be able to share with the Prime Minister the important role the Advanced Propulsion Centre, UKBIC and the Faraday Battery Challenge can play in their plans for a green industrial revolution.

“There’s billions of pounds of opportunity in the UK to manufacture the low-carbon technology needed by the automotive and clean-tech sectors. Recent announcements by Nissan and Stellantis to expand their electric vehicle operations here demonstrate the UK’s globally recognised expertise and capability in clean innovation.

“We are continuing to build on the work we’ve already done to accelerate the UK’s low-carbon ambitions, which will lead to even more jobs and lower carbon dioxide emissions.”

UKBIC in JLR Hydrogen-Powered Defender Fuel Cell Project

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 11:16:45 GMT

The FCEV concept is part of Jaguar Land Rover’s aim to achieve zero tailpipe emissions by 2036, and net zero carbon emissions across its supply chain, products and operations by 2039, in line with the Reimagine strategy announced last month.

Jaguar Land Rover has announced hydrogen concept to be based on new Land Rover Defender
Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) prototype to begin testing in 2021
Hydrogen FCEVs forecast to top 10 million by 2030 with 10,000 refuelling stations worldwide*
Project part of company’s aim to achieve zero tailpipe emissions by 2036 and net zero carbon emissions across supply chain, products and operations by 2039

FCEVs, which generate electricity from hydrogen to power an electric motor, are complementary to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on the journey to net zero vehicle emissions. Hydrogen-powered FCEVs provide high energy density and rapid refuelling, and minimal loss of range in low temperatures, making the technology ideal for larger, longer-range vehicles, or those operated in hot or cold environments.

Since 2018, the global number of FCEVs on the road has nearly doubled while hydrogen refuelling stations have increased by more than 20%**. By 2030, forecasts predict hydrogen-powered FCEV deployment could top 10 million with 10,000 refuelling stations worldwide*.

Jaguar Land Rover’s advanced engineering project, known as Project Zeus, is part funded by the government-backed Advanced Propulsion Centre, and will allow engineers to understand how a hydrogen powertrain can be optimised to deliver the performance and capability expected by its customers: from range to refuelling, and towing to off-road ability. The zero tailpipe emission prototype New Defender FCEV will begin testing towards the end of 2021 in the UK to verify key attributes such as off-road capability and fuel consumption. To deliver Project Zeus, Jaguar Land Rover, it has teamed up with world class R&D partners, including Delta Motorsport, AVL, Marelli Automotive Systems and UKBIC to research, develop and create the prototype FCEV.

Ralph Clague, Head of Hydro and Fuel Cells, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “We know hydrogen has a role to play in the future powertrain mix across the whole transport industry, and alongside battery electric vehicles, it offers another zero tailpipe emission solution for the specific capabilities and requirements of Jaguar Land Rover’s world class line-up of vehicles. “The work done alongside our partners in Project Zeus will help us on our journey to become a net zero carbon business by 2039, as we prepare for the next generation of zero tailpipe emissions vehicle.”

Dr Ahmad Mohsseni, Chief Technology Officer, added : “We’re delighted to be part of this consortium to develop a prototype hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle. This initiative complements our own objective of supporting the UK’s ambitious climate change targets, which includes achieving ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2050 and, for the automotive sector, an end to the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.”

SMMT Electrified conference

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 12:46:42 GMT

Ian Whiting, Commercial Director at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), is to take part in a panel discussion alongside speakers from ZF Group, Britishvolt, WMG and Advanced Propulsion Systems (APC) at the SMMT’s Electrified conference on Thursday March 25. Tata Consultancy Services, will be headline event partner for SMMT Electrified, alongside Auto Trader and BYD Europe.

Chaired by Professor Dave Greenwood, Professor of Advanced Propulsion Systems, WMG, the other panellists will be Ian Constance, Chief Executive Officer, APC, Peter Lakie, Senior Vice President, ZF Group, and Isobel Sheldon OBE, Chief Strategy Officer, Britishvolt. The discussion will focus on building a robust and circular value chain to support the escalated production of electrified vehicles.

Electrified will bring together industry leaders, government, media and key stakeholders from the energy, fleet and logistics sectors to discuss the latest developments in electrification; and will also explore what is required to create a sustainable transport system fit for today, and tomorrow.

To find out more about Electrified, which is due to be held on March 25 (2pm), click here.

Virtual Tour Launched

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 13:09:42 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), which recently announced that its Module and Pack suite of specialist battery manufacturing equipment is operational, has just released its first ever virtual tour of the pioneering battery production development facility.

The tour will give interested companies and organisations working on battery technologies for applications including electric vehicles, rail, aerospace, industrial and domestic equipment & static energy storage development, the opportunity to view first-hand, the 18,500 square metre facility.

The new film features UKBIC’s state-of-the-art battery manufacturing equipment – sourced and supplied from leading manufacturers across the globe – which is available for customers to use.

The battery manufacturing equipment at the Coventry based facility covers the entire production process from electrode manufacturing, cylindrical and pouch cell assembly, cell formation aging and testing, as well as battery module build and full battery pack assembly.

Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, said: “Although a virtual tour is no replacement for the real thing, we’re hoping that the film will give interested companies and organisations a taste of what we have on offer to those working on battery development.

“Our unique, open-access facility, which will be fully open for business later this year, allows organisations in the UK to prove whether their promising technologies can be manufactured at the required volume, speed, performance and cost to be commercially successful.

“Once fully operational, clients can bring their own employees in to work and be trained with us on the line. They will be able to integrate processes unique to their own products temporarily to our facility. We can also help them build bespoke lines to enable them to prove higher throughput production in early stages whilst customers build their own production lines.”

View the tour below.

The Engineer: Industrialising Innovation

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 12:34:23 GMT

Ian Whiting, Commercial Director at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), is to participate in a panel discussion organised by The Engineer called ‘Industrialising Innovation – Accelerating the path to production.’ The event is being run in conjunction with the engineering consultancy Ricardo.

The Engineer session, held on Wednesday March 3, will be chaired by The Engineer’s editor, Jon Excell. In addition to Ian, the other expert speakers will be Martin Starkey, Managing Director, Ricardo Performance Products; Graham Cooley, CEO, ITM Power; and Anthony Thompson – CSO, ISANSYS.

The webinar will bring together leaders from a range of sectors to explore how organisations large and small can rapidly scale-up manufacturing capability; and streamline the path to production for tomorrow’s ground-breaking products and technologies.

Drawing on inspiring stories of best practice and spotlighting key areas of expertise, this discussion will offer attendees business critical insights into some of the strategies, tools, technologies and skills that can help achieve this.

The event will be live streamed to registered viewers and made available on demand post event. To sign up to the webinar, which is due to be held on March 3 (2pm), click here.

'Module and Pack' assembly line now operational at UKBIC

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 13:03:15 GMT

The £130 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has moved a step closer to opening with the confirmation that the facility’s Module and Pack suite of specialist battery manufacturing equipment is now operational.

The Module and Pack assembly line is the first of UKBIC’s innovative battery manufacturing equipment – sourced and supplied from leading manufacturers across the globe – to have been installed and commissioned at the publicly funded ‘open access’ 18,500 square metre battery development facility in Coventry.

UKBIC’s highly flexible Module and Pack assembly line enables customers to test and produce low volumes of Cylindrical and Pouch cell battery technology. In addition, it has the capacity to produce 50 modules and 2.5 packs over every 8-hour shift.

The line has manual and automatic workstations; and has cylindrical cell ‘pick and place’ capability, for cell voltage testing and impedance, as well as the ability to place cells into a module in either combination of cell orientation.

The facility features a state-of-the-art laser precision specialist welder for welding cells to busbars at industry relevant speeds and accuracy. In addition, the line has pioneering battery leak functionality, which allows leaks to be more easily discovered prior to full scale up, whilst the layout has space reserved to accommodate future customer requirements such as alternative joining technologies and plasma cleaning

Although UKBIC’s cell making equipment is identical to that of emerging Gigafactories now under construction, UKBIC’s Module and Pack equipment mimics leading cutting-edge processes you would expect to find in high throughput battery assembly plants.

As well as Module and Pack capability, the battery manufacturing equipment being installed at the facility covers the whole production process from electrode manufacturing, cylindrical and pouch cell assembly, to formation aging and testing, as well as a prototyping competence centre for specialist ultra-low volume builds. The facility is a pioneering facility, which provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production.

Ian Whiting, UKBIC’s Commercial Director, said: “We’re delighted to have our Module and Pack line up and running. This is the first part of the facility which customers can now use.

“Our unique, open-access facility allows organisations in the UK to prove whether their promising technologies can be manufactured at the required volume, speed, performance and cost to be commercially successful. Clients can bring their own employees in to work and be trained with us on the line. Customers can also integrate processes unique to their own products temporarily to our facility. And we can help them build ‘runner lines’ at UKBIC to enable them to prove higher throughput production in early stages whilst customers build their own production lines.”

UKBIC is a key part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, a Government programme to fast track the development of cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe, low-weight and recyclable batteries.

Faraday Battery Challenge

Tony Harper, Industrial Strategy Challenge Director – Faraday at UK Research and Innovation, said:

“The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre has a vital role to play in the development of the battery industry here in the UK. With the Module and Pack suite now operational this is a major step forward for the UK battery industry that will benefit companies of all sizes. I look forward to seeing the Centre grow and develop over the coming months as this world-class facility brings the full suite of battery manufacturing capabilities on stream.”

WMG

Professor David Greenwood, WMG Director of Industrial Engagement and CEO WMG centre HVM Catapult comments: “We’re delighted to see this critical step along the path to UK battery manufacture is complete. The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre is key to the UK’s battery scale up operations and as a founding partner, WMG are delighted to continue supporting their growth. Electrification is no longer just an issue for cars – WMG are supporting programmes in aerospace, rail, marine and freight as well as smaller vehicles like motorcycles and e-scooters. This new unique facility will allow companies to produce prototypes and limited volume production runs for these and other markets.”

Coventry City Council

Councillor Jim O’Boyle cabinet member for jobs and regeneration at Coventry City Council, said , “This news brings us another step closer to making Coventry the capital of battery manufacturing in the UK. Coventry was the heart of the industrial revolution and now it can be the heat of the green industrial revolution.

“Proving that we have the skills, technology and people to support this state-of-the-art product that will power the next generation of vehicles which can and must be made on mass here is our city to support the automotive sector.

“UKBIC is set to thrive here, and the next obvious step is to build a Gigafactory here so we mass produce batteries too.”

CWLEP

Nick Abell, chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) and a director of UKBIC, said : “UKBIC is a development which we are proud of here in Coventry and Warwickshire since it is leading the UK’s ground-breaking expertise in the battery industry.

“The opening of the Module and Pack line up is another stage in developing battery technology as we move towards a more environmentally-friendly future as well as boosting the economy.”

Definitions:

Module and Pack : Simply put, battery packs are usually made of several modules and those modules are made up of numerous battery cells. The joining and mechanical assembly techniques used are critical to ensuring performance, repeatability and durability. Complexity is added when specialist cooling systems are integrated.
Cylindrical cell technology: The cylindrical cell continues to be one of the most widely used packaging types for primary and secondary rechargeable batteries. The advantages are ease of manufacture and good mechanical stability. The tubular cylinder can withstand high internal pressures without deforming.
Pouch cell technology: The pouch cell offers a simple, flexible and lightweight solution to battery design. The pouch cell makes the most efficient use of space and achieves a 90 to 95 percent packaging efficiency, the highest among battery packs.

Maximum dimensions and testing features of the line are set at –

Module Assembly:

Pouch (Max mm) 400x400x250
Cylindrical (Max mm) 800x250x100
Max weight 30kg
Max Voltage 60V
Max Capacity
Pouch 200Ah

Pouch Assembly:

Max (mm) 2500x1750x500
Max weight 1000KgMax Voltage 0-1200 Vdc
Max Capacity 500KWh

The £130 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) is a pioneering concept in the race to develop battery technology for the transition to a greener future. The unique facility provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production. Based in Coventry, the publicly-funded battery product development facility welcomes manufacturers, entrepreneurs, researchers and educators, and can be accessed by any organisation with existing or new battery technology – if that technology will bring green jobs and prosperity to the UK.

In addition to funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge through UK Research and Innovation and the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, UKBIC is also part-funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority. The project has been delivered through a consortium of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick. UKBIC was created in 2018 following a competition led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre with support from Innovate UK.

Isobel Sheldon awarded OBE

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 12:54:57 GMT

Isobel Sheldon awarded the OBE

Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, said : “We’re delighted that Isobel Sheldon has been awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in Her Majesty the Queen’s New Year Honours list for her services to motor vehicle battery technology.

The award recognises her work in the field of lithium-ion batteries and a career which has included working as Business Development Director for UKBIC, a battery production development facility to enable the scale-up of UK battery manufacturing.

UKBIC is a key part of the Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC), a Government programme to fast track the development of cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe, low-weight and recyclable batteries.

Isobel was UKBIC’s Business Development Director between January 2019 until she joined Britishvolt as Chief Strategy Officer in July 2020.”

New commercial director

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 09:48:33 GMT

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), a soon to be completed battery production development facility near Coventry, has appointed Ian Whiting to the post of Commercial Director.

Whiting, who has significant experience in business, the automotive, commercial and defence sectors, has previously worked for brands including AMTE Power, Ricardo and QinetiQ. His most recent role was as a freelance battery technology consultant.

The new commercial Director will be responsible for business development, sales, marketing and procurement, and will also sit on UKBIC’s Executive Committee.

UKBIC is a £130 million 18,500 square metre pioneering facility, which provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production

Ian Whiting, UKBIC Commercial Director, said: “I’m delighted to be joining UKBIC and helping to accelerate the introduction and adoption of electrified technology, an ambition which, once complete, will support the UK as a whole.”

Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “It’s fantastic to have Ian join us, helping us to play a key role in developing and stimulating the race to a greener future. Ian’s vast experience will be great addition to the UKBIC team.”

UKBIC is a key part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, a Government programme to fast track the development of cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe, low-weight and recyclable batteries.

UKBIC to present at Faraday Institution conference

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 09:57:47 GMT

The £130 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), a unique battery production development facility which is due to be operational soon, is taking part in this week’s Faraday Institution conference.

Dr Ahmad Mohsseni, UKBIC’s Chief Technology Officer, is part of a panel session on Thursday (26 November, 11am to 12.30pm) called Scale-Up of materials and processes.

Ahmad will focus on ‘setting up a lithium ion manufacturing facility in the UK as a green field project.’

The session will be chaired by Dr James Cookson, Research Manager at Johnson Matthey.

Other presenters in the session will be:

Yang-Kook Sun, Department of Energy Engineering – Hanyang University, Korea: ‘A new series of Ni-rich layered cathodes for next generation electric vehicles.’
awwad Darr, Co-Investigator, Degradation – UCL: ‘Introducing a New Generic Approach to the Discovery and Scale up of Battery Electrodes and Solid-State Electrolytes.’
Dr Denis Cumming, Project Leader, Nextrode – University of Sheffield: ‘Scaling up cell fabrication in a multi-institutional academic setting: challenges and outlook.’

There are significant challenges in scaling energy storage materials and technologies towards integrated devices and applications, be they chemical, mechanical or electro-chemical, with battery performance being heavily dictated by the way in which they are fabricated.

This session will explore how Faraday Institution researchers are developing the knowledge and understanding to take research outputs to the next level, developing the methodologies and processing capabilities that will be enablers to efficient pathways to commercialisation and recycling.

‘Scale-up’ examples may encompass solving the spectrum of scientific challenges to advance a particular cell chemistry (and its components – including electrolytes) from coin cell to pouch cell, through to advanced deposition techniques and novel, structured composite electrode fabrication; all with a view to improved electrochemical performance and manufacturability.

For more details about the conference, go to https://www.faraday2020.org.uk/access-to-the-conference/

UKBIC welcomes new brand identity

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 09:24:11 GMT

The £130 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has updated the look and feel of its brand identity and refreshed its website.

UKBIC is a pioneering concept in the race to develop battery technology for the transition to a greener future. The unique facility provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production.

New £129 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC)

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 17:00:31 GMT

The first of more than £60 million of equipment has been delivered to the new £129 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) near Coventry which will open later this year.

The practical completion of the new 18,000 sqm building has been achieved and phase two is now underway to add the production equipment, services and the internal finish which will be needed at the home of the UK’s new centre to help companies develop and scale-up production of the latest UK battery technology.

The facility is being created with funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge which is part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to help the UK lead the world in the development of battery technology. Electrode production equipment has arrived from suppliers in Europe and is already being installed inside the building.

Jeff Pratt, Managing Director of UKBIC, said:

“There are three distinct phases in assembling this kind of building.

“We have just achieved the major milestone of practical completion of the site and building works, and the first shipments of electrode production equipment have started to arrive on-site for installation and commissioning in the facility.

“Now that the shell of the building has been constructed, along with the car-parking and access roads, services such as heating, gas, electricity and water are being installed to enable us to power up the process equipment. Clean and dry rooms are also being installed.

“UKBIC will offer the same industrial-standard production equipment you would find in any major battery production factory around the world and is capable of running at the rates and volumes needed to tip the balance of risk and confidence in favour of new UK technology.

“Work is progressing well and when it is completed in 2020, we will be playing our part in enabling the development and manufacture of batteries in the UK.”

The ground-breaking UKBIC is being established after a joint bid by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), Coventry City Council and Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick who won a national competition run by the Advanced Propulsion Centre and supported by Innovate UK.

UKBIC is one of the major projects which will be showcased at MIPIM – the major commercial property development and investment show – which takes place in France from March 10-13.

The area is represented at the event by the Coventry & Warwickshire MIPIM Partnership which is made up of around 20 private sector companies and organisations who promote the area’s presence at the four-day event and is a commercial partner of the Midlands UK delegation.

£60 million equipment

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 10:12:23 GMT

The first of more than £60 million of equipment has been delivered to the new £129 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) near Coventry which will open later this year.

Jeff Pratt, Managing Director of UKBIC, said: “There are three distinct phases in assembling this kind of building.

“Work is progressing well and when it is completed in 2020, we will be playing our part in enabling the development and manufacture of batteries in the UK.”

UKBIC is one of the major projects which will be showcased at MIPIM – the major commercial property development and investment show – which takes place in France from March 10-13.

NG Bailey appointed principal contractor

Thu, 28 Nov 2019 09:43:01 GMT

NG Bailey’s Engineering division is delighted to have been appointed to support the creation of the UK’s new centre of excellence for battery technology, the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

The UK’s leading independent engineering and services business has been appointed as Principal Contractor for the prestigious £126 million development which will see the creation of a new facility to develop the latest electric car battery technology near Coventry.

The contract, worth £14.6m to NG Bailey, is being delivered on behalf of a consortium of Coventry City Council, the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at Warwick University.

The facility, which is backed by Government investment, provides a boost to the UK’s ambition to lead the world in the development of zero emission vehicles. When complete in early 2020 it will play a crucial role in enabling the UK to prepare its home-grown battery technologies for global competitiveness and will provide a stepping stone towards the creation of a UK ‘Gigafactory’ – a large scale battery technology factory for electric vehicles.

UKBIC will also provide practical training to upskill people in battery manufacturing and is part of the Government’s Faraday Challenge programme to develop cost-effective, high-performance, safe, low-weight and recyclable batteries.

Duncan Smith, NG Bailey’s Operations Director Midlands, said: “We are delighted to have been selected for this ground-breaking project. As well as showcasing our own design, engineering and offsite manufacture expertise, we are also supporting innovation and industry best practice to deliver a greener future for the UK.”

NG Bailey began work on site in October with the fast-paced project due to be completed in Spring 2020. The company will deliver all mechanical and electrical services for the development the majority of which – including more than 6km of pipework and 100 heavy-duty service modules – will be manufactured offsite at the company’s specialist facility in Bradford.

Offsite solutions include production of horizontal multi-service modules which will enable 56m to be installed every day and an innovative space-saving multi-service bridge structure which will help reduce the amount of space needed to house the building’s essential services and maximise useful production and working.

These techniques will also shift more than 17,500 hours of work away from site helping to create a safer working environment and reduce on-site congestion.

Duncan Smith added: “By being involved in the early stages of the project we have been able to incorporate innovative offsite solutions which will dramatically reduce the amount of time needed on site speeding up the construction and also deliver tangible benefits to the end users.

“We are creating a bespoke 20m long, 5m high ‘bridge’ structure which will house multiple services. The bridge will sit above the facility’s own plant and equipment meaning that useful production and working areas within the facility can be maximised.”

Jeff Pratt, Managing Director of UKBIC, said: “Phase one of the building shell construction has been completed and NG Bailey is due to start work on the second phase, so the build project is really starting to gather momentum.

“UKBIC’s open access process facilities will play a pivotal role in helping the UK to become a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of battery technology for electric vehicles and other applications. We are looking forward to working with NG Bailey on the next phase of creating our exciting new home.”

NG Bailey has sub-contracted Mossvale as their construction partner.

NG Bailey’s Offsite manufacture in numbers:

140 fully assembled heavy duty service modules (HDSM)
20M long, bespoke multiservice bridge freeing up production space in the facility
6 plant skids for both low temperate and chilled water
10 (HDSM) trench modules for mechanical and electrical services
3 floor standing multi-service heavy duty service modules
Goal post frames for external compound services
10 Air Handling Unit valve assembly modules
Loose pipe spooling for site installation
12 distribution board assemblies

WMCA boosts clean automotive industry with £18m grant for UKBIC

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 08:33:10 GMT

A £126m battery facility to keep the West Midlands at the forefront of the automotive industry has been supercharged by a £18m grant from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) in Coventry will be key in growing industrial battery manufacturing capability in the UK.

The WMCA Board, chaired by Mayor Andy Street, has approved a repayable grant of £18m to help ensure UKBIC has the latest technology to attract top-tier automotive manufacturers and research and development companies.

A consortium comprising Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the Warwick Manufacturing Group were awarded £80m by the Government towards the UK BIC in November 2017, before then Business Secretary Greg Clark announced a £28m boost in May 2019 as his department launched the first Local Industrial Strategy in the West Midlands.

UKBIC is a new national open access industrialisation facility supporting the national and regional industrial strategy focus on UK design, development and manufacture of battery technology.

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “UKBIC aims to put the West Midlands at the forefront of global battery research, as the automotive market moves away from polluting fuels like petrol and diesel and towards a greener, cleaner future using battery technology.

“This investment by the WMCA will help ensure UKBIC features the very best, cutting-edge manufacturing technology, which in turn will attract automotive manufacturers and leading research scientists to the region to scale-up ground-breaking technology.

“Here in the West Midlands we are building a cutting edge electric vehicle cluster including UKBIC and JLR’s Castle Bromwich plant where the new all electric XJ will be built.

“This cluster is helping to position our region as the global leader in autonomous vehicles, however in order to take the next step we have to build a gigafactory. This factory would mass produce the state-of-the-art batteries that UKBIC will scale up, and I would implore the Government to continue to back our plans.”

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration at Coventry City Council and CWLEP board director, said: “As part of our vision for Coventry, we identified the need to locate UKBIC right here in the heart of the manufacturing centre of the country.

“I want our city and our workers to have the opportunity to take advantage of what will be the new green industrial revolution, starting here in Coventry. This is a step towards realising that dream of mass employment opportunities creating both the jobs and the products of the future. Coventry stands ready to deliver.”

Jonathan Browning, chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “UKBIC will play a vital role in helping the UK to become a global leader in the manufacture and scale-up of batteries and is truly a collaborative project.

“Coventry and Warwickshire has been at the forefront of innovation and expertise in a number of vital areas, and UKBIC will see us leading a project which will have a major influence on the sector.”

The 18,000 metre-square facility, which is due for completion in March 2020, will initially employ an estimated 100 people once fully operational. Additional jobs will also be generated in the supply chain, and further employment and training opportunities will be created in the future.

New boost for UK ambition to lead the world in zero emissions vehicles

Thu, 16 May 2019 08:17:16 GMT

Coventry will be home to a new national centre of excellence in developing the latest electric car battery technology, backed by millions of pounds in Government investment.

New investment to develop ‘cutting-edge’ electric vehicle batteries
Coventry based UK Battery Industrialisation Centre will be a new national centre of excellence creating high skilled jobs and attracting inward investment
Comes as the West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy is launched to drive growth and create opportunities across the region – the first in the country

Caption: Jonathan Browning (Chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP) Andy Street (Mayor of the West Midlands), Tony Harper (Head of the Faraday Battery Challenge) and Minister Andrew Stephenson

The Minister for Business and Industry, Andrew Stephenson today [16 May] announced a new £28 million investment in the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, providing a stepping stone for our ambition for a Gigafactory in the UK – a large-scale battery technology factory for electric vehicles

The investment, through our modern Industrial Strategy’s Challenge Fund, comes on top of £80 million initial investment in the centre, which will provide world-leading testing facilities for new battery technologies. This investment will also provide practical training to upskill people in battery manufacturing.

The Business and Industry Minister made the announcement on a tour of the UKBIC site to mark new funding alongside Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, as they also unveil the new Local Industrial Strategy for the West Midlands – the first in the country.

The Local Industrial Strategy sets out a long-term vision for the region to increase productivity – including how the West Midlands can harness the next developments in automotive technologies, such as electric vehicles and driverless cars.

Business and Industry Minister Andrew Stephenson said:

“Putting the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vehicles is at the heart of our plans – creating jobs, growth and opportunity across the country.

“Driven by the potential of fast-paced development of battery technology, this investment puts the UK – amongst a handful of countries around the world – on the next step to meet the challenge by the future of mobility.

“Our investment of £28 million in this new facility will support the UK’s world-leading automotive industry to compete internationally, attract further investment and establish supply chains for new electric vehicle battery design and development.”

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, said:

“For Coventry to boast the UK’s Battery Industrialisation Centre is a major coup for the city and the wider West Midlands.

“This £108 million facility will give the city and the region a huge boost in the race to lead the world in the production of electric vehicles, which is an increasingly important market as we look to tackle air pollution and climate change.

“The Local Industrial Strategy being launched today also highlights advanced manufacturing, medical research and the creative and digital industries as distinct strengths of the West Midlands. The Strategy will build on these strengths and other opportunities so we have a strong and resilient economic future that can benefit all communities across the whole region.”

Jeff Pratt, Managing Director of UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, said:

“It is fantastic to see construction starting on UKBIC and we are looking forward to working with all our partners on this project which will have huge significance on the next generation of battery systems.”

Tony Harper, Faraday Battery Challenge Director at UK Research and Innovation, said:

“This new world-class facility will allow the UK to rigorously prepare our home-grown battery technologies for global competitiveness. This additional investment will mean its ambitious facilities will be expanded and improved to meet the soaring demand of the electric vehicle global market.”

Jonathan Browning, chair of the CWLEP, said:

“This is an exciting step in creating the UKBIC which will have a vital role in helping the UK to become a global leader in the design, development and manufacture of batteries through collaborative research and development between industry and academia.

“Coventry and Warwickshire is renowned for our innovation and expertise and this is an important milestone in establishing a new centre which will influence this sector throughout the world.”

Coventry City Councillor Jim O’Boyle cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, and a director of the CWLEP, said:

“The petrol engine changed the world in a way people would not have thought possible. And now the march of electric vehicles is about to do the same again and I’m delighted that Coventry is once again leading the way.

“The construction of the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre puts Coventry and the wider area at the heart of this new technology which will transform the way we travel, create skilled jobs for local people and help to protect the environment.”

West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy launched

The West Midlands is a region currently going through a renaissance. Designed in the West Midlands in collaboration with government , the West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy builds on the region’s core strengths, sectors at the heart of the region like automotive and advanced manufacturing and life sciences, and aims to create new opportunities for people and businesses.

Together, government and UK Research and Innovation, have provided extensive support to businesses and groups in the West Midlands, including investing over £1 billion in the region since 2016.

Productivity in the West Midlands grew at twice the rate of the UK average in 2018 and this new strategy sets out how leaders from across the West Midlands will work in partnership with Government to:

deliver on our Future of Mobility Grand Challenge, which aims to be at the forefront of the development of cleaner, safer, easier and more reliable future modes of transport, cementing the West Midlands’ position as the UK’s automotive heartlands;
play a leading role in the UK’s trials of connected autonomous vehicles, with the West Midlands aiming to deploy the first fully operational connected autonomous vehicles in advance of the 2022 Commonwealth Games;
drive investment into electric vehicle manufacturing in the region, completing the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre and maximising the impact of the Faraday Battery Challenge;
put the West Midlands at the heart of transport innovation in the UK by delivering the UK’s first large-scale 5G testbed;
help meet the Artificial Intelligence and Data Grand Challenge by supporting the development of a West Midlands Translational Medicine and Med-Tech commission to accelerate the ‘lab to patient’ ecosystem; and
Grow the strong creative and digital industries and business and professional services sector.

The West Midlands is the fastest growing UK region for goods exports and this Local Industrial Strategy will help accelerate the economic growth in the area. The Government’s national Industrial Strategy is further supporting economic growth and boosting local businesses through investments including:

£20m for the West Midlands towards it becoming the UK’s first Future Mobility Zone, covering Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry – introducing new technologies to encourage more seamless and efficient journeys;
Up to £50m to put the region at the forefront of 5G developments as the innovative new home to the UK’s first multi-city 5G testbed. This trial of new high-speed connectivity will pave the way for a rollout across the country;
£332m from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund which is working to extend the city-region’s metro system, with an initial focus on extending the system to connect cities with the towns between Wednesbury and Brierley Hill in the Black Country
A Skills Deal with the government that could unlock up to £69m to help equip people in the region with the right skills for the jobs and industries of the future; and
The most funding for any UK region from the government’s flagship fund for research and development, the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, which has so far invested £286m into projects in the region.

This is the first Local Industrial Strategy in the country – Greg Clark will be showcasing this ambitious plan alongside Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and other local leaders from across England at our first-ever Industrial Strategy Conference, at London’s Mansion House. Those attending will include representatives from the 38 Local Enterprise Partnerships, and young entrepreneurs from each of these areas.

The Strategy also comes as the Government holds the next round of bidding for its flagship Strength in Places Fund, a £236 million fund bringing together research organisations, businesses and local authorities to develop pioneering ideas that will deliver local economic growth and create high-value jobs.

Planning consent granted

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 09:01:54 GMT

Planning consent has been granted by Warwick District Council to create the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

Developers The Coventry & Warwickshire Development Partnership have been successful in their application to create a 193,750 sq. ft research and development facility near the A45/Festival Roundabout and A46/Tollbar Roundabout and at the junction of the A444 with the A4114/Whitley Roundabout in Coventry.

The UKBIC will enable the development of the next generation of battery systems across battery chemistry, electrodes, cell, module and pack levels. It will provide opportunities for partnership between industry and academia, delivering on the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

The new UK manufacturing development centre was awarded to the area following a successful joint bid between Coventry City Council, the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick. The competition was led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) and supported by Innovate UK.

Planning application submitted

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 15:37:25 GMT

Developers The Coventry & Warwickshire Development Partnership have applied for planning consent to create a 193,750 sq ft research and development facility on land adjoining Rowley Road to the south of the A45.

The new centre is a result of the region winning a national competition, with the successful joint bidding consortium consisting of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick. The competition was led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) and supported by Innovate UK, to establish a new UK battery development centre.

The UKBIC will deliver on the UK’s Industrial Strategy and will develop the processes to transition the UK to become a world leader in design, development and manufacture of batteries through collaborative R&D between industry and academia.

Jonathan Browning, Chair of the CWLEP, said: “A massive amount of work has taken place between the successful outcome of our bid, which was announced last November, and reaching this stage. This is an exciting and very valuable project for the region.”

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration, added: “This is a significant milestone as we seek to utilise the considerable skill-base and specialist expertise in our area. It also forms part of our strategy to reenergise the automotive industry in the city which was originally the home of the car industry.”

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, Chairman of WMG, comments: “This is a significant step forward in the development of the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, which will see Coventry and the sub region make a significant contribution to the delivery of the UK’s Industrial Strategy. Through the UKBIC the UK is in a strong position to lead the advancement of battery development, and vehicle electrification and autonomous vehicles.”

Jeff Pratt, Managing Director of UKBIC, adds: “This signals the conclusion of the UKBIC early planning process, our team have worked hard since November to achieve this milestone and can be proud of this achievement. I am very much looking forward to continuing to the next phase of the programme which will achieve the physical delivery of this important development facility for a growing UK battery industry.”

Recruitment underway

Fri, 25 May 2018 15:45:29 GMT

Recruitment is underway for a wide range of positions at the new £80 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

The innovative facility will be located in Coventry and Warwickshire as part of the Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge – a £246 million commitment over the next four years on battery development.

A nationwide competition, which was led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) and supported by Innovate UK, to establish a new UK facility was won through a joint bid by WMG, at the University of Warwick, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Coventry City Council.

The UKBIC, which is being led by newly appointed Managing Director Jeff Pratt, will deliver on the UK’s Industrial Strategy and develop the processes to transition the UK to become a global leader in design, development and manufacture of batteries through collaborative R&D between industry and academia.

The Centre, which will open in 2020, will see the development of the next generation of battery systems across battery chemistry, electrodes, cell design, module and pack processes technologies.

Recruitment for the first key technical positions has started with vacancies for engineers and process technicians.

Jeff Pratt, Managing Director of UKBIC, said: “This a great opportunity to be involved and play a significant role, from the start of our journey, working with industry to develop our future battery technology.

“We are keen to attract a diverse range of talent and believe that the technology and processes in UKBIC are similar to other manufacturing and process industries. Therefore, we are keen to talk, not only to battery experts, but to experts who have experience in related process and production technologies across other sectors, who would like to transfer their skills into battery process technology.”

Tony Harper, Industrial Strategy Challenge Director for the Faraday Battery Challenge at UK Research and Innovation, said: “UKBIC would be setting new standards in battery technology.

“This is a really innovative sector to be involved in and the recruitment process signals the start of this exciting project.

“The UKBIC will be instrumental in helping the UK realise its ambition to create a world-class battery industry at the cutting-edge of technology. For anyone with relevant skills and ambition, it represents an outstanding opportunity to develop their careers in a vital field for the future.”

This is the first phase of the technical recruitment and there will be more technology positions advertised by the end of the year, and through 2019.

For more information or to apply for these current positions, contact Steve or James at Consilium Recruit on 01789 201040

Tenders to provide major equipment

Thu, 17 May 2018 15:13:01 GMT

Businesses have been invited to submit tenders to provide major equipment at the new £80 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

The innovative facility is being created in Coventry and Warwickshire as part of the Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge – a £246 million commitment over the next four years on battery development.

A national competition, which was led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) and supported by Innovate UK, to establish a new UK facility was won through a joint bid by WMG, at the University of Warwick, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Coventry City Council.

The centre, which is due to open in 2020, will see the development of the next generation of battery systems across battery chemistry, electrodes, cell design, module and pack level.

Five tenders have been published for businesses to provide electrode and cell manufacturing equipment at the state-of-the-art facility.

These include mixing equipment, coating equipment, cylindrical cell assembly equipment, pouch cell assembly equipment and formation, ageing and testing equipment.

Paul Blackmore, technical specialist at WMG, said this was a fantastic opportunity for equipment manufacturing suppliers to be involved from the early stages of a new national facility.

He said: “There are five tenders available for businesses to submit their quotes to provide equipment at the UKBIC which will become a world-leader in the design, development and manufacture of batteries for vehicle electrification.

“The planned cell production lines will be used to develop and prove materials, cell designs, manufacturing processes and parameters prior to full plant investments.

“We have started the procurement process early because of the long lead time needed to provide and install cell manufacturing equipment.

“We will be providing additional tenders at a later date and we are looking forward to receiving tenders for this initial equipment which will have a major role to play in the work carried out at UKBIC.”

Interested suppliers should register at Coventry City Council’s e-tendering portal to find out full details and for the opportunity to bid: www.csw-jets.co.uk

THE FIRST WAVE OF TENDERS HAS NOW CLOSED

Key Appointment

Tue, 15 May 2018 14:53:07 GMT

Jeff Pratt has been appointed Managing Director of the £80 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre which is part of the Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge – a £246 million commitment over the next four years on battery development for the automotive sector.

The Centre will see the development of the next generation of battery systems across battery chemistry, electrodes, cell design, module and pack level. An open access facility, it is due to open in 2020.

Jeff is currently General Manager at Nissan’s Lithium Ion Battery Plant in Sunderland and will take up his role as Managing Director of UKBIC in June and will be reporting to Professor Lord Bhattacharyya.

He joined Nissan in 1987 and has held various management positions within the vehicle manufacturing plant at Sunderland. These include Paint Shop Engineering Manager between 2001 and 2006 and Trim and Chassis Engineering Manager between 2006 and 2009.

The 55-year-old moved to the Li battery plant in 2009 and had overall responsibility for construction, commissioning and the operation of Nissan’s UK battery business.

Jeff has extensive experience in Production Engineering and Facility Engineering as well as more than 20 years’ senior management experience.

He has had responsibility for delivering a range of new model and facility projects as well as managing daily operations in part of the biggest car manufacturing facility in the UK. Jeff, who has a BEng (Hons) in Electrical Engineering and MEng, said: “I feel privileged and excited to be appointed to lead the introduction of the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre. “The automotive industry is undergoing huge change with electrification. The UKBIC, in conjunction with the Faraday Battery Challenge, will play a pivotal role in supporting the UK’s Electric Vehicle battery industry and enhancing development growth in the UK.”

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, Chairman of WMG said: “Jeff will have a central role to play in leading the UKBIC to help the UK maintain its position as a world-leader in battery technology in the move towards a low carbon economy.

“This is an exciting time for the industry and with academia and industry working together at UKBIC, the aim is to set new levels of innovation and R&D to further enhance the UK’s reputation in automotive excellence.”

Ian Constance, CEO at the APC said “Battery innovation is a key area of growth and the UKBIC has a vital role to play in helping the UK to set new standards in battery technology. “Jeff and his team will act as a focal point for collaboration as the UK aims to set ground-breaking levels of performance and quality.”

The UKBIC is an initial element of the Government’s new Industrial Strategy, and addresses the joined-up electrification agenda developed by the Automotive Council and the APC. It is a key element in leveraging the opportunities in electrification potentially worth £5-£50bn and driving significant jobs growth across the UK.

New Centre in Warwickshire

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 15:37:34 GMT

Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, made the announcement that the area had won the national competition for the new centre, while attending an energy conference at the University of Warwick.

The bid was made by WMG at the University of Warwick, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Coventry City Council, and the NBMDF will see the development of the next generation of battery systems across battery chemistry, electrodes, cell design, module and pack level and will see a partnership between academia and industry.

Jonathan Browning, chair of the Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said the successful bid had been a total team effort.

He said: “This is excellent news on every level. We have worked very closely with our partners WMG and Coventry City Council with support from the West Midlands Mayor and that joined-up approach not only maximised our effectiveness but sent a powerful message to government.

“We believe we are uniquely placed with our links between industry and academia to bring the National Battery Manufacturing Development Facility to fruition and it will give huge opportunities to local companies of all sizes and will continue our push to be world leader in advanced research and manufacturing, especially in the automotive and transport sector.

“It will also further enhance our reputation as the Knowledge Capital of the UK in the eld of engineering R&D.”

WMG have a strong record of accomplishment working with the automotive sector over the last 15 years to develop and prove new battery technologies. There will be a direct transfer of the research from universities to the next stage of manufacturing, taking research from the lab to market.

A suitable site for the development will now be sought.

Coventry City Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration and CWLEP board director, said: “It’s brilliant news that government has decided the country’s new National Battery Manufacturing Development Facility should be located here.

“I’m glad the nal decision has been made and of course I’m delighted that my home city will once again be at the cutting-edge of the automotive sector. For many years our city and region provided the innovation and skilled workforce to help the UK lead the world.

“Car manufacturing provided a secure, well paid job for thousands of Coventry people, including me. And now battery development has the potential to do the same for a whole new generation of Coventry people.

“I hope battery development will create thousands of new jobs and if there is one thing we know for certain, it’s that having a job changes lives. That’s the real reason this is such good news. And Coventry of course is the it’s the perfect choice. We have a rich heritage in motor vehicle manufacture and it’s only right that we will once again lead the way with this pioneering new technology.

“Clean air vehicles and autonomous cars are the future and now the centre of excellence will be here right where it belongs. It’s the public sector, industry and education working together that has got us to this point today but now it’s time for the real work to begin.”

The £80m was awarded through a competition led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre, supported by Innovate UK as part of the Faraday Challenge – a £246m commitment over the next four years on battery development for the automotive sector.

2aa2a1de

Enabling the manufacture of next generation cell formats through design and process consideration

Enabling the manufacture of next generation cell formats through design and process consideration

Hosted by:

Aishwarya Chougule

CAD Engineer

Webinar description

Industry Minister opens UK Battery Industrialisation Centre’s new Flexible Pilot Line

Chris McDonald MP, the Minister for Industry, has today (12 February) officially opened the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre’s (UKBIC) new Flexible Pilot Line (FPL), which bridges the gap between lab-scale research and full-scale production for battery innovators and developers.

UKBIC designated an EAL accredited learning centre in battery manufacturing

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has been recognised as an accredited learning centre for battery manufacturing by EAL, the specialist skills partner and awarding organisation for engineering and manufacturing.

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) appoints Jason Watkins as its new Commercial Director

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the UK’s national battery manufacturing development facility, has appointed Jason Watkins as its new Commercial Director.

Optimising Electrode Quality: Controlling Air in Battery Slurries for Superior Coating Performance

Optimising Electrode Quality: Controlling Air in Battery Slurries for Superior Coating Performance

Hosted by:

Dr Helen Walker

Senior Simulation Engineer ﻿

Webinar description

UKBIC publishes new White paper addressing air entrainment challenges in battery electrode manufacturing

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has released a new white paper detailing pioneering work to tackle one of the most persistent manufacturing challenges in lithium-ion battery production, the air entrainment in electrode slurries during wet slurry casting.

A systems-level approach to defect reduction

Key findings

Advancing UK battery manufacturing capability

About the author

White paper – Optimising Electrode Quality: Controllng Air in Battery Slurries for Superior Coating Performance

About this white paper

The authors

Dr Helen Walker

Senior Simulation Engineer

﻿ UKBIC

Andrew Robinson

Process Specialist El ectrode

﻿ UKBIC

We held a webinar about this white paper

UKBIC’s ‘original’ Introduction to Battery Manufacturing Course given EAL Approval

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has announced that its Introduction to Battery Manufacturing training course has been formally approved by EAL, the specialist awarding body for high quality engineering and manufacturing qualifications and assessments.

UKBIC Brochure

Deep Dive: Module and Pack Assembly

Deep Dive: Module and Pack Assembly ﻿

£540 exc. VAT

One-day course ﻿

Deep Dive: Formation, Ageing and Testing

Deep Dive: Formation, Ageing and Testing

£540 exc. VAT

One-day course ﻿

UKBIC installs British-made coater in its new state of the art Flexible Pilot Line

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has installed a new, small-scale coater, produced by British engineering company E+R (Emerson & Renwick), on its new Flexible Pilot Line (FPL).

Future skills for the UK's battery ecosystem: A view from UKBIC's Head of Learning and Development

Future skills for the UK's battery ecosystem: a view from UKBIC's Head of Learning and Development

Hosted by:

Jonty Deeley-Williamson

Head of Learning and Development

Webinar description

Groundbreaking British company first to use UKBIC’s state-of-the-art Flexible Pilot Line

Groundbreaking British company first to use UKBIC’s state-of-the-art Flexible Pilot Line

Battery Trendspotting: The View from UKBIC's Chief Technology Officer

Battery Trendspotting: The View from UKBIC's Chief Technology Officer

Hosted by:

Jonathan Smith

Exter nal Affairs Director

Featuring:

Richard LeC ain

Chief Technology Officer

Webinar description

Advanced Module & Pack Assembly: Exploring UKBIC's Capabilities and Lessons Learned

Advanced Module & Pack Assembly: Exploring UKBIC's Capabilities and Lessons Learned

Hosted by:

An drew Britton

Business Development Manager ﻿

Webinar description

Prediction of electrode calendering defects through finite element modelling

Prediction of Electrode Calendering Defects Through Finite Element Modelling

Bringing UKBIC's Flexible Pilot Line to Market

Bringing UKBIC's Flexible Pilot Line to Market

Hosted by:

Andrew Britton

﻿ Business Development Manager

Main presentation by:

Adam Dixon

Senior Simulation Engineer

UKBIC

UKBIC

Deep Dive: Module and Pack Assembly

One-day course

One-day course

Business Development Manager

Business Development Manager

Exploring UKBIC's Cell Cycling, Formation and Ageing, Testing, and End of Life testing capabilities

Business Development Manager

Business Development Manager

Impact

Business Development Manager, UKBIC