Under a new framework agreement, lithium-ion battery cell manufacturer AMTE Power has announced it has become one of the first commercial customers to use the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) in Coventry.
The center enables organizations within the UK to prove their technologies, ranging from battery modules and packs to electrodes and cell materials. These products or components are assessed to see if they can be manufactured at the required rate, volume and cost, among other requirements to be commercially successful.
“We are very proud to be one of the first UK manufacturers to use the UKBIC facility as it marks a crucial step for AMTE and the UK battery industry,” commented Kevin Brundish, CEO of AMTE Power. “It will no doubt be critical in helping us to underpin our scale-up plans for manufacturing to enable us to serve the significant potential demand we see for our products in the automotive, oil and gas, and energy storage markets.”
The new agreement will enable AMTE Power to transition from product development that is currently carried out in Thurso, Scotland, to the UKBIC, where larger-scale manufacturing can take place. To begin with, AMTE Power will develop its Ultra High-Power cell, a product targeted at high-performance sports cars and high-power off-highway vehicles.
The company will utilize the UKBIC to prepare materials and aid design for manufacture, alongside the scaling of manufacturing processes and parameters as AMTE Power seeks to refine its manufacturing plans for the future.
In addition to using the UKBIC, AMTE Power plans to increase production by building a UK gigafactory with a 2GWh annual capacity. The company will confirm development plans in 2022.
“We’re delighted to be working with AMTE Power on the development of its battery technology, one of the first commercial customers to use our facility,” said Jeff Pratt, managing director of UKBIC. “Once completed later this year, UKBIC will play a key role in the development of skills, technology, abilities and knowledge as the UK shifts toward electrification.”