Five concept-to-demonstrator projects initiated to advance deployment of batteries in emerging economies

Part of the Ayrton Challenge on Energy Storage (ACES) – UK international development funding to support the clean energy transition

The Faraday Institution has awarded five collaborative projects that will deliver tangible demonstrators of battery systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region. The projects will seek to optimise and validate battery systems to maximise performance and improve efficiency and lifetime, specifically tailored to typical operating conditions in their intended deployment locations. In doing so they will advance the technologies a step closer to commercialisation.

Image: MOPO’s solar charging station. Courtesy of MOPO.

The new concept-to-demonstrator programme represents an investment of £1.64 million. The projects are led by five different UK universities, with input from their industry and international partners from five countries.

Currently, 685 million people globally lack reliable electricity access. Energy storage is crucial for enhancing supply reliability, reducing emissions, and meeting climate targets. The ACES research programme aims to expand energy access, reduce emissions, and support energy transitions in emerging economies by developing lower cost energy storage solutions that enable cleaner transport and distributed energy access.

Advancing the uptake of e-mobility solutions and decarbonising electricity provision in communities in the global south with low or no connectivity are multi-faceted challenges. Our collaborations with multiple partners are moving the dial, bringing reliable access to clean energy sources to communities, with the potential of changing lives and livelihoods. As such, the Faraday Institution and ACES are well positioned to effect global change.”
Professor Martin Freer, CEO, Faraday Institution

Introducing the new projects:

1. NaSEMA – Na-ion Batteries for Sustainable Energy and Mobility in Africa – University of Sheffield with MOPO

Evaluating the costs and benefits of using commercial sodium-ion cells in 1kWh MOPO Max pay-per-use rental battery packs in operation in Liberia.

2. SL2FBat – Sustainable Low-cost Soluble Lead Flow Battery – University of Southampton with SOLead Energy, Gham Power and Swanbarton

Developments to the University of Southampton’s soluble lead flow battery, installation by Gham Power in Nepal to demonstrate operational capability in in-market conditions, and battery optimisation and smart grid integration by Swanbarton.

3. UniBatt: Accelerating e-mobility uptake in Kenya and Rwanda through universal battery diagnostics, control and interoperability – University of Oxford with Bboxx

Integration of Oxford’s state-of-health and lifetime diagnostics into the Bboxx Pulse software for lifetime prediction and fleet health monitoring. Development and demonstration of an interoperable battery pack for use on a range of e-mobility platforms in Kenya and Rwanda.

4. THAI-BATT: Thermal and Humidity Adaptive Battery Solutions for Transport and Energy Storage in Thailand – Imperial College London with NV Gotion and Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Optimising battery design for high temperature and humidity environments including Thailand. Development of low energy cooling strategies to enhance lifespan, safety, and stability, and build of prototypes to validate cooling benefits and support parameterisation of modelling tools.

5. StamiNa – Sustainable Transport and Affordable Mobility through Innovation in Na-ion technology – Swansea University with Coventry University, Batri, Strathmore University (Kenya), AceOn Group and Federal University of Technology Owerri (Nigeria)

Refinement and scale-up of Prussian White cathode / coal-derived hard carbon anode sodium-ion cells. Manufacture and integration of cylindrical cells in an AceOn battery pack, and demonstration in e-bikes at Strathmore University, Kenya.

This is the second phase of the R&D programme of the Ayrton Challenge on Energy Storage (ACES) that the Faraday Institution is leading. Three of the projects, awarded after a highly competitive open call, are continuations of ACES seed research projects that undertook proof of concept research in 2024 and early 2025.

About the Ayrton Fund and the Ayrton Challenge on Energy Storage

These project were funded with UK aid from the UK Government via the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform as part of the Ayrton Fund.

The Ayrton Fund is a commitment by the UK Government to spend up to £1 billion of Official Development Assistance on the research, development and demonstration of clean energy technologies and business models for developing countries from 2021 to 2026. This includes the partnerships and associated skills needed to deliver Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 13. The Ayrton Fund is managed and delivered jointly between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, and the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, via a portfolio on ongoing, new, and scaled-up clean energy innovation programmes.

The £5 million ACES R&D programme is part of a broader co-ordinated ACES package of at least £25 million across a range of partners for skills development, technology accelerators, and market building activities. These partners include the Shell Foundation, Acumen, the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP), UCL and Innovate UK’s Energy Catalyst, as well as a range of academic and industry leaders. Innovations will reduce the cost and improve the performance of energy storage systems for static off- and weak-grid, and e-mobility solutions in target countries.

Ayrton fund logo

Posted on July 14, 2025