Powering Britain's
Battery Revolution
Powering Britain's
Battery Revolution
19/05/2025, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
As the aviation industry enters the early stages of the energy transition, researchers are constantly developing renewable technologies to power travel in our skies. With alternative technologies such as battery energy storage, hydrogen, and synthetic aviation fuels all under development, the electric aircraft market is predicted to grow significantly over the next decade. But how? And how will these technologies change the way we travel in the air?
In the latest event in partnership with the Royal Institution, we take a deep dive into the research, systems engineering, challenges, and potential solutions of deploying batteries in the skies. Join a panel of experts to learn how batteries fit into the technology mix for decarbonising aviation.
How to join
The lecture will take place in-person in the Royal Institution’s historical auditorium theatre where many great scientific minds have presented and shared their research, including Michael Faraday who famously revealed his field theory of electromagnetism here. Book your in-person theatre ticket.
The lecture will also be streamed live via the Ri YouTube channel. Book your virtual ticket.
Contact [email protected] for any queries.
19:00-19:10 | Scene Setting with the Chair – Professor Dame Helen Atkinson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University will Chair the evening and will set the scene for the discussion by describing where low carbon aviation is today.
19:10-19:25 | Current Technologies – Jacqueline Castle, CTO, Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) will provide an overview of some of the complementary low-carbon propulsion technologies being researched as well as give the ATI’s view of the role batteries will sit within the energy transition in the aviation sector.
19:25-19:40 | Current Technologies – Dr Limhi Somerville, Director of Engineering at Vertical Aerospace will outline the aviation-specific challenges around integrating current generation Li-ion batteries in their prototype 4-seater electric vertical take-off and landing craft, which have already undertaken test flights.
19:40-19:55 | Next Generation Technologies – Professor Lee Johnson, Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Nottingham, will round off the evening by describing some of the remaining research questions that, if answered, could unlock the use of next-generation battery chemistries – lithium-sulfur and lithium-air – within more conventional segments of the aviation industry.
19:55-20:30 | Q&A
The event will take place at The Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS. Visit the RI website for more details.