U.K. Funds Battery Technology Charge

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The U.K. is determined to take the lead in battery storage technology with the launch of the first phase of a £246 million ($322 million) investment in battery technology.

Through the "Faraday Challenge," the four-year investment plan will fund a series of competitions in numerous battery technologies, including how to roll out large-scale battery energy storage (BES) systems for the rapidly growing renewable energy sector. The Faraday Challenge competitions have been divided into research, innovation and scale-up streams with the goal of putting the country at the forefront of "the design, development and manufacture of electric batteries."

"The first element will be a competition led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to bring the best minds and facilities together to create a Battery Institute," explained U.K. Business Secretary Greg Clark. "The most promising research completed by the Institute will be moved closer to the market through industrial collaborations led by Innovate U.K. The work that we do through the Faraday Challenge will--quite literally--power the automotive and energy revolution where, already, the U.K. is leading the world."

Professor Philip Nelson, chief executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), commented: "Batteries will form a cornerstone of a low-carbon economy, whether in cars, aircraft, consumer electronics, district or grid storage. To deliver the U.K.'s low-carbon economy we must consolidate and grow our capabilities in novel battery technology. EPSRC's previous research investments mean we are in a world-leading position."

The investment has been welcomed by Emma Pinchbeck, executive director of industry body RenewableUK: "Today is the starting gun for the U.K. to become the world-leader in innovative battery storage technologies. The energy sector agrees that a clean, flexible and modern energy system is the future, a future which relies on a clear vision from Government, working in partnership with businesses. Renewables are a mainstream technology, reliably providing over 25% of our electricity. The advent of battery storage is the missing puzzle piece which will allow us to maximise the potential of our world-beating renewable energy resources here in the U.K.".

Industrial Info has been tracking the rapid developments taking place in the energy storage sector. In April, Germany revealed Europe's largest battery storage project in the region of Schleswig-Holstein, close to the border with Denmark. The 48-megawatt (MW) system of lithium-ion batteries will have a capacity of more than 50 megawatt-hours (MWh), enough for 5,300 homes. For additional information, see April 19, 2017, article - Germany Charges Europe's Largest Battery Power Project. Europe also is set to get its own giant battery production plant as former senior executives of Tesla Motors Incorporated (NASDAQ:TSLA) (Palo Alto, California) have announced plans for a 4 billion euro ($4.3 billion) "Gigafactory" in the Nordic region. For additional information, see March 14, 2017, article - Europe Plans First Battery 'Gigafactory'.

The U.K. also is investing in grid-scale battery storage. Last year, Industrial Info reported that the country's grid operator, National Grid plc (NYSE:NGG) (London, England), had completed the world's first energy-storage auction. Attracting 37 bidders, most of which were pitching battery-storage solutions, National Grid awarded contracts to eight companies to provide 200 MW of grid-scale battery storage, which it estimated will save the country £200 million ($262 million). For additional information, see August 31, 2016, article - U.K. Bets Big on Battery Power.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.