Oxford partners with Fortescue to develop industrial batteries
The University of Oxford, in partnership with Fortescue Zero, will lead one of EPSRC's Prosperity Partnerships to develop safer, more reliable, high-performance batteries for industries such as mining, transport and construction.
UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has announced a £41 million (USD 55 million) investment (matched with a further USD 76 million from businesses and academia) for 23 new Prosperity Partnerships to tackle key industry challenges.
The University of Oxford, in partnership with UK-based Fortescue Zero, will lead one of these to develop safer, more reliable, high-performance batteries for industries such as mining, transport, and construction, the University said in a media release.
Since 2017, Prosperity Partnerships have provided investment for academic institutes and businesses to co-create and co-deliver a program of research activity that directly addresses a clear industrial need.
For the new project “Energy storage for decarbonisation,” the University of Oxford will partner with Fortescue Zero, known for its expertise in zero emissions solutions and electrifying mining equipment, to develop safer, longer-lasting, and more efficient industrial batteries for vehicles in difficult-to-decarbonise industries.
This new Prosperity Partnership builds on more than a decade of collaboration between Oxford and Fortescue and showcases Oxford’s strengths in energy storage, materials science, and battery management systems. The research will be anchored in the University’s Departments of Engineering Science and Materials, and Oxford University’s ZERO Institute, a multi-disciplinary hub for zero-carbon energy research.
“This partnership allows us to take cutting-edge battery science and engineering from the lab into the field—helping decarbonise some of the world’s most challenging sectors while creating new opportunities for UK innovation and industry,” said Project Lead Professor David Howey.
“Our flagship Prosperity Partnerships scheme brings together world-class expertise from businesses and academia to solve big challenges to support the growth of industry and advance UK research,” said Professor Charlotte Deane, EPSRC Executive Chair, and a Professor in Oxford University’s Department of Statistics.
