Electrification to spur UK battery demand, challenges ahead
Changes to the UK’s transport and energy storage sectors will need an additional 55GWh of batteries, says a report from the Faraday Battery Challenge.
This presents a large opportunity for battery manufacturing within the UK industrial landscape.
The report was produced in collaboration with the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, WMG, The University of Warwick.
Ben Walsh at the Faraday Battery Challenge notes, ‘Meeting this opportunity requires a coordinated, cross-sector approach to scale up domestic manufacturing, drive innovation in battery technology, and address gaps in the supply chain.’
- Aerospace demand will depend on the viability of the electric vertical take-off and landing industry.
- Rail demand will increase rapidly by 2035, pressuring manufacturers to produce faster-charging cells with a longer lifespan
- Marine demand will be confined to short-range vessels operating within ports.
Unlocking wider use in batteries will require research into cost, as decreased production costs may help increase supply and spur demand, especially in automotive, marine and rail.
Range anxiety and power capacity of batteries will be a growing concern, but improvements to battery technology could improve performance, boosting demand.
There is also a need to mitigate the risk of thermal runaway.
More like this...
