UK-based consortium heads into SSB development

The consortium comprises the following 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.
• Oxford University – that leads the Faraday Institution’s solid-state battery project (SOLBAT) and provides the necessary scientific understanding to the consortium.
• 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.
• 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, a press release from Oxford University reads. 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. 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.’ 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.’