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Existing projects in three research areas have been refined to focus on the areas with the greatest potential for success and injected with £19 million worth of funding. These projects focus on three key research areas: next generation cathode materials, electrode manufacturing and sodium-ion batteries.
The Faraday Institution, the company behind the investment, is the UK’s flagship institute for electrochemical energy storage research. They partner with over 500 researchers and over 85 industry partners to drive innovation in energy storage.
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“The UK automotive sector is at the cutting edge of exploiting innovative technologies. These have the potential to create jobs, grow the economy and accelerate how we reach net-zero. This package of funding will help industry and government work together and take decisive action in targeting areas where the UK is leading the way. This government has shown time and time again that we are committed to creating the right conditions to make the UK the best location in the world to manufacture.” Nusrat Ghani, the Minister for Industry and Economic Security |
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The research aims to investigate the following: • New materials to extend car ranges and reduce charge times • Large scale material synthesis • New strategies to reduce the cost of battery manufacture • Eliminate reliance on nickel and cobalt to reduce material costs |
New manufacturing methods can produce “smart” electrodes with 30% more capacity and 50% lower degradation rates than traditional manufacturing methods. Batteries containing these electrodes could produce a longer range for electric vehicles, which is one of the main sticking points for a lot of consumers. Funding for this project will be used to look into how to scale up this production methods to put them on the path to commercialisation.
FutureCat’s project studies high-capacity, high-performance batteries for premium electric vehicles. They are developing nickel-rich oxide cathodes that hold more charge and withstand prolonged cycling. They are looking to promote ion mobility in these cathodes to increase durability, range and acceleration for car batteries.
CATMAT theorise that the biggest jump in battery performance in the near future will come from changing the chemistry of the cathode. They are looking at developing cathodes that reduce reliance on elements that have an at-risk supply chain and developing a greater understanding of the chemistry to overcome existing voltage and capacity issues.
Most current rechargeable batteries are heavily dependent on lithium; however this is a high cost and relatively scarce element. A lower cost, more abundant alternative would reduce the price of batteries making them more commercially viable. They are investigating sodium based batteries as a possible solution for consumers and industries with a tight budget.
These projects are part of a government drive to enhance the UK’s position in research, development and production of innovative electrochemical energy storage solutions. Success in these areas would make the UK battery industry more competitive internationally as well as contributing to the international effort to reach net zero.
