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.