BRITISHVOLT: Powering the Transition to a Carbon-Free Future

The UK has been at the forefront of global investment in technology development and innovation since the industrial revolution. It is the ideal base for Britishvolt, with the development of current and future generations of battery technology pinpointed as of strategic importance to the country’s manufacturing sector, and key to sustaining its lucrative domestic automotive industry.

According to APC research, by 2030 the UK will need over 90GWh per annum of batteries for cars and light commercials alone, and represents over 11% of the total demand across Europe. British consumers bought more electric cars in 2021 than the previous five years combined, a trajectory set to only accelerate, Britishvolt is the UK’s foremost investor in battery cell technologies and associated R&D to develop homegrown intellectual property.

“The race to zero is an imperative for society, and batteries are core to a successful energy transition,” Britishvolt stipulates, “and the move to a low carbon future will bring with it huge opportunities. Sales for electric vehicles continue to strengthen and domestic batteries are a vital ingredient in meeting this demand.”

GIGAPLANT POWERS AHEAD

“We do indeed have global ambitions,” the company states, “but the UK will always be where it all started.” Headquartered in the heartland of the UK automotive industry, the Midlands, with easy access to vehicle manufacturers as well as research partners at Warwick Manufacturing Group, also ideally situated on the best site in the UK is Britishvolt’s 30GWh battery Gigaplant, fully plugged into the national grid and ready to go.

“It is logical to build any battery cell manufacturing site as close to a renewable energy source as possible, in order to counter the energy intensity of the production process,” Britishvolt reasons, “and in Northumberland renewable energy is plentiful; the entire area fully embodies the transition to a low carbon future.”

One of the UK’s biggest-ever industrial investments, and the largest in the North East of England since Nissan’s arrival in 1984, has enabled Britishvolt to power ahead with its historic plans with funding from the UK Government through its Automotive Transformation Fund. The ATF funding is critical to Britishvolt’s plans to build the £3.8 billion advanced technology battery cell Gigaplant, which will result in over 3000 skilled direct jobs onsite at full production, plus a further 5000 in the wider supplier chain. 

Delight accompanied the confirmation of the funding, which will help propel the UK’s successful energy transition on the road to zero, for Isobel Sheldon OBE, Chief Strategy Officer, Britishvolt. “This is great news for our plans to construct the UK’s premier battery cell Gigaplant in Northumberland,” she recognised. “The ATF’s grant funding is very important in proving that the UK Government is confident that we will deliver on our plans, and this will help to generate further private investment.

“The Britishvolt Gigaplant will create both the jobs and the industry of the future, strengthening the UK’s technological base and playing a key role in helping the country reach its net zero target by 2050.”

Britishvolt’s private partnerships to date have been equally strong and important, not least in its selection of BTR as its key synthetic graphite and silicon oxide supplier, with processing powered on clean, renewable hydroelectricity. It followed securing a portion of its cobalt requirements from strategic partner Glencore and the announcement of a JV with Indonesia’s VKTR for nickel sulphate.

“Not only do we benefit from the technical expertise of BTR, now and in the future,” lauded Timon Orlob, Global COO, “but we also benefit from their global strategy concerning their manufacturing location and up-stream material plans.

“We were always committed to shaping global supply chains, and with this collaboration with BTR we are achieving that.” Britishvolt has strengthened a longstanding partnership by extending its contract with WMG, University of Warwick, to develop battery cell technologies and accelerate the route to market in a multi-million-pound deal. A two-year programme of work will assist with battery cell development and optimisation and help Britishvolt to ramp up availability for electric vehicles, and other applications, in the UK and beyond.

“The battery science, advanced materials and cell prototyping expertise and capability at WMG has directly, and positively, supported our battery technology development programme,” explained Dr Allan Paterson, Chief Technical Officer at Britishvolt. “The relationship enables Britishvolt to continue to develop our products further, as we continually strive to deliver best-in-class, market-leading, cell technologies to our customers.”

LEADING BATTERY ECOSYSTEM

In further evidence of the Britishvolt business model of partnering early with customers and tailoring solutions, Britishvolt and Aston Martin have collaborated to develop high performance battery technology. It brings together two innovative leaders in UK engineering to create the next generation of cell and battery technology designed specifically for high performance cars, as the ultra-luxury carmaker takes another key step in its journey to electrification.

“This collaboration once again highlights the value of working hand-in-glove with customers to co-develop and manufacture tailored, sustainable, localised battery cells,” opined Orral Nadjari, CEO and Founder of Britishvolt. “We are excited about the prospect of an all-electric Aston Martin powered by Britishvolt’s low carbon, sustainable battery cells.”

West Midlands is home to the internationally renowned battery ecosystem of WMG, Advanced Propulsion Centre and UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, and Britishvolt has now partnered with logistics real estate operator Prologis to build its UK battery cell scale-up facilities to unify its Northumberland Gigaplant with a centrally located scale-up and technology hub. Investment exceeding £200 million will create and sustain upwards of 150 technology jobs, and enable Britishvolt to rapidly ramp up cells that are production ready to be manufactured in larger volumes.

The ‘Battery Corridor’ concept enhances the UK’s existing battery ecosystem, while the Hams Hall is destined to become a centre of excellence for all things EV and electrification, with major automakers close by. “These new R&D and scale-up facilities will help the UK build on its home-grown battery intellectual property and level up the country ready for the energy transition,” assessed Paul Franklin, Property Director, Britishvolt. “The UK’s battery ecosystem is a global leader in integrated technology development and industrialisation.”

Only through working with leading strategic partners and suppliers will Britishvolt achieve its vision of a future of electrified transportation and sustainable energy storage, producing best-in-class, low-carbon, sustainable and responsibly manufactured lithium-ion battery solutions. “Collaboration is key on our quest to a low-carbon future,” Britishvolt acknowledges. “Technology is paramount to keeping the UK at the vanguard of the global battery revolution; the time is now to carve a name for the UK as a global battery champion.

“Britishvolt will be at the very heart of that revolution.”