Manufacturing industries in the UK will receive £211m in new government funding for battery research, which could support the growth of the UK’s EV battery sector.
The funding will be delivered via the Faraday Battery Challenge, which was established to support scientific technology development and the manufacturing of batteries in the UK.
The government has said that this sector could support 100,000 jobs by 2040 and will play a central role in the growth of adjacent industries, especially EVs and renewables.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), with support from the Faraday Institution, Innovate UK and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), are set to deliver the funding between 2022 and 2025.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, business secretary, said: “Safe and powerful batteries are central to our plans to grow the industries of the future.
“From our world leading renewables industry, to our growing electric vehicle sector, secure supplies of batteries are key to delivering jobs and prosperity.
“The Faraday Battery Challenge has brought the UK’s greatest minds and best facilities together to develop the innovations that will help us achieve this goal.
“The work it has done since 2017 has laid the groundwork for our future economic success and I am pleased to confirm this work will continue, supported by record funding.”
The Faraday Battery Challenge combines not only supports research into batteries, but was set up to encourage business collaboration and develop a broader skills network in the field throughout the UK.
So far, the challenge has reportedly supported more than 140 UK organisations and attracted more than £400m in added private sector investment.
Dame Ottoline Leyser, chief executive professor of UKRI, said: “Advanced battery technology will play a central role in our lives and the economy, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, creating new jobs and opening up new opportunities.
“The Faraday Battery Challenge is at the forefront of the clean technology revolution, catalysing collaboration and innovation that will benefit society.
“This exciting work and the further investment announced today underlines the ways in which research and innovation can help to create a sustainable future while driving economic growth.”
According to the government, it wants to support a world-leading electric vehicle industry in the UK using the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF), which has reportedly already secured investments in battery production.
What’s more, an additional £4m has been announced, to be delivered through UKRI’s Driving the Electric Revolution Challenge, to support the development of Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD) manufacturing and supply chains.
