A £130m UK battery production development facility in Coventry, in the UK, will soon be operational.
The publicly funded 18,500 square metre UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) can be accessed by any organisation with existing or new battery technology, if the technology will generate green jobs in the UK.
UKBIC can be used by companies working on batteries for stationary energy storage, industrial equipment, electric vehicles and other applications.
The facility contains £60m of specialist battery manufacturing equipment which is now in the final stages of commissioning.
Its capability allows organisations in the UK to prove whether their promising technologies (from electrode and cell materials through to battery modules and packs) can be manufactured at the required volume, speed, performance and cost to be commercially successful.
The flexible facilities are designed so that several users can run projects at the same time in discrete areas, and also provides opportunities for hands-on training in battery production.
UKBIC currently employs 86 people, including battery technicians, engineers and consultants, with plans for that number to reach 100 to support future project partnerships with industry and research organisations.
UKBIC managing director Jeff Pratt (pictured) said: “We’re really excited to be getting close to being operational and playing a key role in developing and stimulating the race to a greener future.
“Since moving into our new facility earlier this year, we have already begun to welcome manufacturers, entrepreneurs, researchers and educators, albeit in a controlled and socially distanced manner.
“We and our partners have continued to work on the facility throughout the Covid-19 period.
“Although we have seen some delays, we have continued to make excellent progress, and are now seeing our first facilities beginning to come on stream.”