THE UK BATTERY INDUSTRIALISATION CENTRE
Mr Johnson opened the national battery manufacturing development facility during a visit to Coventry. The 18,500-meter squared facility, costing around £130 million, has been developed and opened to support UK industry with the development of battery technologies for the future electrification of fossil fuelled equipment.
This will drive forward the UK’s climate change targets, which are “achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050” and, for the automotive sector to put an end to the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.
Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s managing director, added: “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.”
This new 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. This will continue to drive research and development, bringing us one step closer to net-zero.