The ability to develop and manufacture enough batteries to keep up with the future of electric vehicle demand will be key to the UK’s Road to Zero targets and transition to electrification. This is why super-sized Giga Factories are being created to expand the supply chain.
It has been revealed that AMTE Power and Britishvolt plans to investigate collaborating to build the UK’s first full cycle battery cell GigaPlant, servicing the automotive and energy storage markets. Both parties have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) focused on each other`s complementary ambitions to create and expand an onshore manufacturing supply chain. The successful outcome of the collaboration would enable scalable production of a diverse product portfolio of lithium ion batteries to support the country’s growing EV market.
“We are delighted to be working with Britishvolt exploring the creation of a large scale manufacturing facility in the UK, and thank APC for introducing us. The recent global crisis has further highlighted the importance of having a robust onshore supply chain, and the creation of a GigaPlant would place the UK in a strong position to service automotive and energy storage markets. The scalable production of lithium ion cells is key to electrifying vehicles and would drive new manufacturing revenues and new employment, and can be built on AMTE’s focus on the supply of specialized cells, thereby continuing the country’s tradition of excellence in battery cell innovation,” said Kevin Brundish, CEO at AMTE Power.
As the pace and scale of change accelerates towards new net zero targets, the UK is in a position to design, develop, manufacture and export high-value battery technologies.
“Aligning our objectives with AMTE Power, who are looking to add to their current manufacturing capabilities in the UK, our ambition is to build a 30+ gigawatt hour factory with the support of the British Government, creating up to 4,000 jobs in the process. Meeting Road to Zero targets and moving the UK into a low carbon economy will necessitate the unprecedented electrification of vehicles, and reliance on renewable energy will require extensive battery storage. It is costly and carbon-intensive to have lithium ion batteries imported from the Far East, and this GigaPlant would cement a solid onshore supply chain to ensure quality and eliminate future uncertainty of supply,” said Lars Carlstrom, CEO at Britishvolt.
