Powering Britain's
Battery Revolution
We provide analysis and insights into topics related to energy storage, electric vehicles, materials supply chain and recycling to government bodies at the local, regional, and national level.
The Faraday Institution provides an independent, evidence-based understanding of battery economics, societal issues, capabilities, and competitive position through commissioned studies and insights publications. The aim is to bridge knowledge gaps across industry, academia and government. As part of this remit the team provides briefings to policy makers and responses to public consultations.
Contact Stephen Gifford, Chief Economist, to discuss policy advice and business intelligence.
The Faraday Institution regularly publishes Faraday Insights, evidence-based assessments of the market, economics, commercial potential, and capabilities for energy storage technologies and the transition to a fully electric UK.
If you would like to suggest a subject for a future Insight, please contact us.
The Insight explores the role of the HGV sector as a significant part of the UK’s economy and the challenges of decarbonising the sector and proposes actions to develop and support the UK HGV industry. Read More...
Low-carbon energy technologies such as ammonia, batteries, e-fuels, biofuels and hydrogen fuel cells are rapidly gaining traction in the maritime industry. Heavy fuel oil will soon no longer be the primary choice for propulsion. Battery technology is an important part of the mix, offering energy efficiency, reduced emissions and improved performance for smaller vessels, with hybrid solutions emerging for longer distances and international shipping. The UK can be at the forefront of these developments but must invest in port and charging infrastructure. Read More...
This Insight focuses on the role that energy storage, particularly electrochemical energy storage, or batteries, can play in delivering flexibility for a decarbonised electricity system. First, the role of energy storage in a net-zero energy system is outlined. Next, the market for energy storage globally and in the UK is presented, with a particular focus on batteries. Key characteristics of different battery technologies are then reported, providing insight into which battery technologies are best suited to which applications. Finally, the energy storage policy landscape is discussed. Read More...
This insight outlines the size of the global recycling market, the key recycling processes and the economics of battery recycling, particularly the challenges involved in retaining the value of recycled materials. Developments in the UK and European recycling industry along with the opportunities and challenges for the UK to establish itself as a leading battery recycling location are also highlighted. The Insight complements Insight 9: The importance of coherent regulatory and policy strategies for the recycling of EV batteries. Read More...
The insight outlines the increasing size of the global electric market and explores the different low carbon technologies that could become available for aviation, particularly hydrogen, batteries and sustainable aviation fuels. The performance characteristics of battery technology for aviation and proposed actions to develop and support the UK aerospace industry in the transition are also highlighted. Read More...
Commercial battery chemistries are rapidly evolving, driven by market demands, improved cathode materials and electrification of transport. Existing cathode chemistries such as lithium iron phosphate and lithium nickel manganese cobalt batteries continue to fulfil market requirements. However, with continued research and investment, next-generation lithium-ion batteries are likely to occupy a substantial segment of the battery market beyond 2030, bringing significant improvements in performance and/or cost. Read More...
Lithium-ion battery cells in electric vehicles are already safe and failure incidents are very rare. But with increasing use across automotive, stationary storage, aerospace and other sectors, there is a need to make them even safer. Whilst lithium-ion cell fires are extremely infrequent, they can occur under conditions of mechanical, thermal or electrical stress or abuse. Building safer and more reliable lithium-ion battery packs, as well as improving the design and optimisation of safety systems, will help to decrease the risks associated with rising lithium-ion battery usage. Read More...
With the global population of urban areas set to increase by 50% to 6.7 billion by 2050, managing mobility in cities will be crucial. Micromobility has the potential to substantially reduce congestion and pollution in urban areas and increase productivity. However, several challenges are currently facing the micromobility industry, including rider and battery safety. The UK needs to ensure regulation and safety keep pace with burgeoning transportation choices. Read More...
Batteries are important enablers of clean energy and mobility, but improvements in performance, longevity, safety and sustainability are needed. Battery models used to design a product on a computer save time and reduce the number of expensive physical prototypes needed. Computer models at multiple scales consider not only the properties of materials, components and cells, but also the impacts on pack functionality and across the lifecycle. Model simulations are often the only practical way to predict battery performance or battery failure, ensuring their safe and efficient operation. Read More...
The roll-out of charging infrastructure in the UK is critical to the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). The UK charging infrastructure network needs to be expanded quickly, not only to satisfy the rapid growth in EV ownership and driving but also to provide non-EV owners with the confidence to purchase an EV. Charging points need to be in the right place and of the right type, with more offering smart charging and vehicle-to-grid capability. The existing network will be technologically compatible with next generation batteries but needs to be future proofed with respect to charging behaviour. Read More...
The Faraday Institution has developed an analytical methodology to assess early-stage commercialisation potential for each of its research projects. The assessment results in a bespoke approach to commercialisation tailored to each project, the prioritisation of limited resources and the development of consortia that are investment ready. The approach can be implemented by any organisation with limited resources and a portfolio of research projects. Read More...
Electric vehicles (EVs) have much lower life cycle carbon emissions than petrol and diesel vehicles using internal combustion engines (ICE). Carbon emissions over the EV life cycle are falling fast as the UK electricity grid is decarbonised and the UK moves towards Net Zero. Total life cycle carbon emissions of a medium-sized battery EV will be about one-quarter of a petrol car sold in 2025, with UK-manufactured EV batteries 12% greener than the European average. Read More...
Sodium-ion batteries are an emerging battery technology with promising cost, safety, sustainability and performance advantages over current commercialised lithium-ion batteries. Key advantages include the use of widely available and inexpensive raw materials and a rapidly scalable technology based around existing lithium-ion production methods. These properties make sodium-ion batteries especially important in meeting global demand for carbon-neutral energy storage solutions. Read More...
Fundamental research on lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) dates to the 1970s, with their successful commercialisation delivered by Sony in 1991. Since then, LIBs have revolutionised the world of portable electronics, owing to their high energy density and long lifespan. Whilst LIB uptake initially powered small devices, they are now enabling global growth in electric vehicles, as well as having an increasing presence in new areas such as grid storage. Whilst LIBs will continue to lead electrification in multiple sectors, there are still requirements for improvements in lifetime, performance and safety. To achieve these researchers need to better understand – and find ways to mitigate – the many causes of battery degradation. Read More...
The move to electric vehicles (EVs) has the potential to reduce carbon emissions and air pollution. However, the transition also brings associated environmental challenges with the need for efficient recycling systems to tackle the large numbers of EV lithium-ion batteries reaching end-of-life. Unless this waste flow is managed, some of the gains of the transition to EVs will be lost. Effective waste management infrastructure and a supportive regulatory framework will be necessary to realise the full benefits of a decarbonised transport sector. Read More...
Lithium-sulfur technology has the potential to offer cheaper, lighter-weight batteries that also offer safety advantages. After initially finding use in niche markets such as satellites, drones and military vehicles, the technology has the potential to transform aviation in the long-term. Electric aircraft offering short-range flights or vertical take-off and landing (including personalised aviation and flying taxis in cities) are distinct possibilities by 2050. The UK, which is already home to established lithium-sulfur battery manufacturers and to leading academics in the field, has a great opportunity to be the global leader in this ground-breaking technology. Read More...
A rapidly growing market for batteries across the globe has intensified pressures on suppliers of cobalt to meet surges in demand. Such pressures have impacted the livelihoods of miners – in particular, those working in the Democratic Republic of Congo's artisanal and small-scale mines – in both beneficial and potentially deleterious ways. International efforts by businesses, governments, and NGOs to secure a responsible supply chain for cobalt have the potential to protect lives and livelihoods while ensuring corrupt practices are held in check. Read More...
Ending UK sales of new vehicles running on diesel and petrol by 2030 will massively increase the demand for lithium, cobalt and nickel used to manufacture electric vehicle batteries. Many countries around the world are embarking on a similar path to electrification. Even so, global markets for raw materials should be able to deliver the demand in the UK and elsewhere. But action is needed now to iron out likely bottlenecks in supply chains. Read More...
The development of solid-state batteries that can be manufactured at a large scale is one of the most important challenges in the battery industry today. The ambition is to develop solid-state batteries, suitable for use in electric vehicles, which substantially surpass the performance, safety, and processing limitations of lithium-ion batteries. In contrast to research into lithium-ion batteries, which will provide incremental gains in performance toward theoretical limits, research into solid-state batteries is long-term and high-risk but also has the potential to be high-reward. Read More...
Fire, police, ambulance, and service personnel will need new skills to handle EV accidents and repair to ensure the safety of themselves and others. The number of those workers who need reskilling is substantial and resources are needed to support sector skills councils and providers for regional delivery of accredited courses. Read More...
Over 800 million people worldwide do not have access to electricity and, of those that do, many suffer from an unreliable supply. Diesel and petrol generators commonly used in developing countries bring problems of noise, air quality and climate impacts. Energy storage technologies including batteries have the potential to replace generators and provide cheap, clean and reliable electricity to millions of people. Read More...
Read the full report by Vivid Economics.
Faraday Insights and Reports are included in the Government Office for Science’s Emerging Technologies Resource Library, which includes over 300 technology reports available for use by teams across government to facilitate knowledge sharing.
The following reports were commissioned by the Faraday Institution or represent key publications in which the Faraday Institution played a contributing role.
The report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation identifies five areas for immediate action to build a circular economy for EV batteries.
The Faraday Institution contributed to the report as part of the Ayrton Challenge on Energy Storage.
As part of the Ayrton Challenge on Energy Storage theme on capability building, Battery Ambassadors mapped the battery ecosystem landscape in 12 countries, to document the progress of the electrification transition in their regions, and to lay out the opportunities and challenges in battery research, technology integration and policy regulation.
The paper signposts ongoing needs to meet electrification targets, including in:
With thanks to our Battery Ambassadors who lead this initiative.
This report was funded by the UK government via the Ayrton Fund.
The UK Gigafactory Commission was established with the purpose of assessing the UK’s current position and setting out, as clearly as possible, the steps required to secure further UK gigafactory investment and strengthen the UK’s battery supply chain. The Commission’s remit was to determine key priorities for policy action with a view to ensuring that the UK is competitive, resilient and prepared to seize the economic growth opportunities.
The Commission brought together expertise from across industry, policy, academia and public service. The recommendations formulated are intended for His Majesty’s Government, for industry leaders, for investors and for all those concerned with the future direction of this vital sector. The findings of the Commission are based on analysis of industry data, consultation with stakeholders and a thorough review of international trends.
The Commission sets out ten priority recommendations that together build on existing interventions to form a coordinated strategy to secure UK gigafactory investment, strengthen supply chains and protect automotive competitiveness.
To secure long-term automotive competitiveness and energy security, the UK must adopt an interventionist mindset, acting decisively with financial incentives and proactive engagement. A tripartite strategy focused on OEM, battery plants and active material investment is central to achieving this.
Download report (spreads, single pages).
Flow batteries are a form of long duration energy storage; a set of technologies with potential performance benefits that could be crucial for the provision of reliable zero-emission electricity from variable renewable energy sources. They represent a small and relatively immature market with enormous growth potential in many developing economies – for deployment and manufacturing.
The report is targeted at:
Download report. Watch the webinar
This report was funded by the UK government via the Ayrton Fund. The report supports the delivery of the Ayrton Challenge on Energy Storage.
The report identifies key strengths, opportunities, issues and, most importantly, actionable interventions that could see the sector thrive as it faces the challenges thrown up by climate change, and the goals of ensuring energy security, reaching net zero and delivering economic growth.
The IOP commissioned the expertise of its membership to provide robust scientific evidence on priority technology advancements for nuclear and renewable energy generation (nuclear power, photovoltaics), energy storage (batteries) and transmission (high-temperature superconductors).
The The Faraday Institution was pleased to contribute to the section on battery energy storage via the expertise of Martin Freer and Stephen Gifford.
The report comes to conclusions in key areas, such as R&D, research and scale-up infrastructure, skills development, and recycling and sustainability, outlining the following top priorities.
In November 2024, the Global Battery Alliance published a paper to inform policy makers and market actors across the battery value chain by identifying the main variables that influence the demand for EV battery recycling. The research methodology combines semi-structured interviews, literature review, expert knowledge, and proprietary data models. Professor Paul Anderson, Principal Investigator of the Faraday Institution ReLiB project, provided deep insights into the market for the report. The analysis focused on Li-ion batteries. The European Union (EU), where the regulatory environment is most mature, was set as the scope to evaluate if recycled content targets for lithium, nickel and cobalt in batteries can be met by processing the batteries that reach end-of-life locally in the EU.
The modelling shows that supply may fall short of demand around the year 2036 when legal targets are set to increase, unless demand is met through imported recycled content, or recycled content from other applications. The sensitivity analysis shows that the most impactful drivers for the availability of recycled content relate to the lifespan of batteries, the weight and chemistry of future batteries, and trade in batteries as well as in second-hand cars. The outcomes of the model stress that accompanying policies and further investments will be required to achieve the circularity ambitions.
In November 2024, a joint study with Manufacturing Africa revealed cost-competitive investment opportunities in the battery supply chain in Africa.
Key findings indicate that, with the right investment and policy environment, refining locally extracted lithium, nickel, manganese and copper in Africa could be up to 40% more competitive than the rest of the world by 2030. Beyond mineral refining, initial analysis suggests that countries like Tanzania and Morocco could produce batteries that are cost-competitive with Europe under certain conditions.
The report also: estimates battery demand in Africa; identifies additional opportunities in battery packs and in battery assembly and recycling; maps where companies are operating in battery value chains across Africa; provides recommendations for policymakers and investors on how to advance these initiatives. It contains a wealth of information and analysis of value to a variety of stakeholders including potential investors in projects in other parts of the battery value chain beyond mining.
The study was launched by UK Foreign Secretary, The Rt Hon. David Lammy MP, at an event in Lagos, Nigeria, November 2024. It was funded by Manufacturing Africa and the Ayrton Fund. The Faraday Institution’s leadership of the Ayrton Challenge on Energy Storage is delivered via the Transforming Energy Access platform.
Map of 38 locations of European gigafactories with capacity and opening date.
In an update to its 2022 study, the Faraday Institution predicts that by 2030, the UK will need the equivalent of six gigafactories (large, high volume battery manufacturing facilities) each producing 20 GWh per year of batteries. By 2040, the demand is expected to rise to the equivalent of 10 such gigafactories. This demand could be met by fewer, larger gigafactories reaching the same total capacity.
Recent gigafactory announcements in the UK by AESC and Tata Group have built excitement about the potential to create a new, dynamic and highly skilled battery industry in the UK. The report finds that 270,000 UK jobs could be supported by the EV and battery industry to 2040.
These announcements showcase the UK as an attractive location for battery manufacturing companies to build their European plants. The UK is making progress but not moving fast enough compared to its European competitors. UK battery manufacturing plants announced or under construction are expected to reach a combined capacity of 57.6 GWh by 2030, equivalent to around 4% of total European GWh capacity, behind Germany (21%), and six other countries.
More needs to be done.
At present, 47% of the projected demand for UK batteries to 2030 remains unaddressed by existing gigafactory development plans. Furthermore, 71% of the demand projected to 2040 has yet to be met.
Download report. Download news release. Download map and figures.
In September 2023, the Faraday Institution published a report on the market demand for, and a technology assessment of grid-scale energy storage. The UK is currently undergoing a significant energy transition, driven by a commitment to decarbonise industries, the power supply and deliver Net Zero. Under a future energy system dominated by renewables, intermittent energy generation will need to be supported by stationary energy storage.
Several technologies exist to convert electricity into energy storage systems, such as pumped hydro, compressed air storage, liquid air energy storage, and batteries. Each technology offers different durations of storage, and the technology selection for stationary storage will depend on the specific requirements and characteristics of the energy system. The report investigates the UK’s grid flexibility requirements to deliver Net Zero and the role energy storage can play to enhance grid flexibility. A technology assessment and market outlook is also provided, with a final section on the opportunities and challenges for further UK research.
The report was commissioned by the Faraday Institution and authored by Rho Motion. The data and analysis in the report draws on Rho Motion’s knowledge and experience delivering forecasts and analysis on the EV & battery, EV charging and stationary energy storage markets.
The UK Government is committed to reaching net zero by 2050. To achieve this, the UK’s electricity grid must be decarbonised by moving towards renewable, low-carbon energy generation. Due to their intermittency, such technologies will require energy storage to provide power into the grid at times of low generation, or to store energy for future use in times of excess generation.
A new report from the Royal Society titled “Large-scale electricity storage” addresses this problem by considering the use of large-scale electricity storage when power is supplied predominantly by wind and solar. The report concludes that, in principle, GB’s energy needs could be met by wind and solar supply, supported by hydrogen, and some small-scale electrochemical energy storage that can respond rapidly, which is needed to ensure the stability of the transmission grid.
The report covers a technology review of the potential for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries in both stationary and portable energy storage applications and e-mobility use-cases, covering potential market opportunities such as battery rental and swapping, and use of second life batteries. It considers the safety and durability of technologies in the context of environmental and climate-related challenges in target regions as well as for potential use in provision of energy in emergency response situations.
In April 2023, the Faraday Institution published a report analysing how hydrogen and battery technologies are likely to be used in different sectors within the UK, including transportation, manufacturing, the built environment, and power, to 2050. Both are anticipated to play an increasingly vital role as the UK transitions to a low-carbon future to address critical concerns of climate change and energy security.
Batteries and hydrogen have distinct characteristics and should largely be viewed as complementary rather than competing technologies. Both will require significant technological advance and extensive scale up of manufacturing and deployment if the UK is to meet its obligation to reach net zero by 2050. The varying timescales of their rollout leads to considerable uncertainties in predicted market share profiles over time.
The report was commissioned by the Faraday Institution and authored by DNV. The sector analysis draws on DNV’s knowledge and experience within both the battery and hydrogen industries.
Download report. Download key figures. Download news release.
Closing the Loop on Energy Access in Africa, August 2021, World Economic Forum, Global Battery Alliance (Faraday Institution contributor)
A new report, commissioned by the Faraday Institution and carried out by DNV and TFE Africa, explores the potential of battery energy storage solutions BESS to be viable and competitive in sub-Saharan Africa, as a way of offering alternative solutions for resilience and grid independence. If realised, this would enable the integration of more utility-scale renewables and bringing electricity and opportunity to the least developed corners of the continent.
The accompanying techno-economic model into BESS, explores their potential to displace fossil-fuel powered generators and increase the uptake of cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy.
The study was funded through the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) programme, funded by UK Aid from the UK government. TEA is a research and innovation platform supporting the technologies, business models and skills needed to enable an inclusive clean energy transition.
New technologies and a skilled workforce are both essential to meet the challenge of net carbon zero. To ensure the UK is ready for the transition, a new skills framework has been created by WMG – University of Warwick, The Faraday Institution and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.
Read the report ‘The Opportunity for a National Electrification Skills Framework and Forum’
This Faraday Report gives an overview of current battery technologies and markets for high energy applications. It is intended for use primarily by scientists and engineers in academia and industry as an introduction to current state of the art and an indication of what may be coming to the market over the next 5-10 years. For those not familiar with batteries for high energy applications, the report will inform early stages of product road-mapping and design. It also will provide readers with pointers of where to look for more detailed specification information. For those more familiar with the relevant battery technologies the report gives an introduction to the competitive landscape.
The Faraday Institution worked with NREL (the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory) and the World Bank Energy Sector Manag
ement Assistance Programme (ESMAP) on the report “Global Overview of Energy Storage Performance Test Protocols” published in October 2020.
The UK energy sector has been invigorated by the recent commitments to reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 (2045 in Scotland), and a fully decarbonised electricity system by 2035. Meeting these legally-binding emissions targets will require a comprehensive rethink of how the UK power system – a central enabler of the transition to Net Zero – is developed and operated.
While work is underway to facilitate the near-term replacement of fossil-fuelled generation with renewable technologies, less attention is given to the end state – the operation of a fully decarbonised power system.
This report – by Energy Systems Catapult in collaboration with the Faraday Institution and supported by TNEI – presents fresh thinking about a zero carbon system and how it will be operated. It focusses on some of the key parameters that make up the system operation, and is intended as a starting point to generate conversation and debate.
Reuse and Recycling: Environmental Sustainability of Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage Systems, 2020, World Bank Energy Storage Programme. (Faraday Institution contributor)
How Carbon Pricing Can Help Britain Achieve Net Zero by 2050, the Zero Carbon Commission, 2020. (Faraday Institution contributor)
Global Overview of Energy Storage Performance Test Protocols, World Bank Energy Storage Programme, 2020. (Faraday Institution contributor)
A Vision for a Sustainable Battery Value Chain in 2030, Global Battery Alliance, World Economic Forum, 2019. (Faraday Institution contributor)
The Faraday Institution provides detailed written and oral responses to government inquiries and consultations to inform the UK’s transition to energy storage technologies:
The Faraday Institution submitted evidence in November 2024 to the Department for Business and Trade’s consultation on the UK’s 2035 Industrial Strategy.
The submission emphasised the importance of prioritising battery technologies to achieve net zero and drive economic growth. It highlighted the potential of lithium-ion, solid-state, sodium-ion and lithium-sulfur batteries to enhance energy density, safety and cost efficiency. It also stressed that advances in next-generation solutions could deliver transformative impacts across key sectors such as automotive, aerospace and grid-scale storage.
The submission outlined the UK’s strengths in battery research including academic excellence and recent investments in gigafactories. It concluded by emphasising the need for long-term funding for research, investment in gigafactories, skills training, the development of a resilient UK supply chain and streamlined planning for manufacturing facilities.
The Faraday Institution submitted written evidence to the Department for Transport’s call for evidence on zero emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in December 2023. The submission examined the vehicle capabilities and infrastructure requirements necessary to support the transition to battery electric HGVs, focusing on long-range and high-payload operations. The submission highlighted the importance of developing robust recharging infrastructure, especially along key freight routes. The submission also stressed that improvements in battery performance such as energy density and charging times will be critical to ensuring that battery electric HGVs can deliver the range and efficiency required for commercial freight operations.
The Faraday Institution submitted written evidence to the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee inquiry into Batteries for EV manufacturing. The inquiry examined the viability of EV battery manufacturing in the UK, the potential to scale-up battery manufacturing to meet growing EV demand, the risks to the UK automotive industry of not establishing sufficient battery manufacturing capacity and the lessons that the UK can learn from other countries.
The submission emphasised the need for gigafactories to be built in the UK, as the presence of an EV battery industry helps to ensure that automotive production remains in the UK. The submission also outlined that the UK is making good progress in securing new battery manufacturing plants, such as the AESC plant in Sunderland which is aiming for an initial capacity of 12 GWh. However, the UK is not moving fast enough to meet potential UK demand or compared to European competitors, so needs to step up the pace.
The Written Evidence was followed up with Oral Evidence given by Stephen Gifford, Chief Economist. He emphasised the urgent need for five gigafactories by 2030 to meet anticipated demand. Given the lead time for factory development, this timeline presents a narrow window for planning and construction. He also emphasised the importance of enhancing the supply chain and the significance of next-generation battery technologies such as sodium, lithium-sulfur and solid-state batteries where the UK has leading research capabilities. He concluded by highlighting the role that government can play beyond financial support, including promoting inward investment, fostering skills development and funding research and development.
The Faraday Institution submitted written evidence to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee inquiry into long-duration energy storage for Net Zero. The inquiry is assessing whether the Government has sufficient policies in place to support medium- and long-duration energy storage and whether it is on track to deliver this component of the Net Zero energy system. The submission emphasised the critical role of energy storage in achieving a net zero given the increasing reliance on intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar. It highlighted that storage requirements vary based on cycle durations, such as annual, weekly, daily, and seconds. Technologies including pumped hydro storage, compressed air storage, liquid air energy storage, hydrogen and batteries were identified as potential solutions. The submission concluded that lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries are optimal for short-duration needs, while flow batteries, particularly those using vanadium and metal-air batteries, such as zinc-air and lithium-air, could be more suited for medium duration energy storage.
See Professor Pam Thomas giving evidence to the committee.
Read the report House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report (March 2024) Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
The Faraday Institution submitted written evidence to the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee inquiry on Electric Vehicles. The inquiry seeks to understand how the Government will achieve its upcoming 2030 and 2035 deadlines for the phase out dates for non-zero emission vehicles, as well as exploring the main obstacles and barriers to meeting these targets. The submission emphasised the critical importance of establishing domestic battery gigafactories to meet the UK’s ambitious EV transition goals and that current efforts might fall short of the projected 2030 battery demand. The submission also highlighted the role of research, especially in advancing lithium-ion technology and exploring next generation battery chemistries in order to improve performance, cost-effectiveness, reliability and sustainability of EV batteries.
The Inquiry’s call for evidence in early 2022 asked for contributions on whether the UK research and innovation system can deliver the ambition to increase the proportion of GDP spent on research and development to 2.4% by 2027 and to make the UK a ‘science and tech superpower’ by 2030.
The Faraday Institution’s submission emphasised the need for long-term funding in areas of strategic importance based on learnings from other international research organisations. Top researchers can sometimes require 5 to 10 years to deliver research outcomes that can be commercialised. Linking fundamental research directly to the relevant industrial challenges is expected to realise much richer benefits than current research practices. In particular, the response highlighted the need for research institutions and research programmes to be actively reviewed, influenced and challenged by the private sector.
The Inquiry concluded that many of the pieces are in place to meet the Government’s ambition, but sustained focus, implementation and delivery are needed. The Government should identify clear and measurable outcomes that it wants funding to achieve and ‘make every effort to establish science and technology policy for the long term, building on existing policies and with clear, cross-party support’. Building international relationships, increasing the contribution from the private sector research contribution and ensuring the ‘right people and the right science and technology skills’ are developed will all be critical.
Six members of the Faraday Institution HQ team, Board and Expert Panel provided written and oral evidence to this 2021 inquiry. Professor Clare Gray, University of Cambridge served as its chief scientific advisor.
The Committee called for “long-term commitments on the role of battery and fuel cell technologies to give the UK a future competitive advantage in in achieving the UK’s ambition to reach net-zero fuel cells and next-generation batteries” and which would “allow the UK to leapfrog its competitors and gain an advantage for future manufacture of batteries and vehicles.” Further, it calls for “widening the scope of battery innovation to include batteries for stationary applications on electricity grids, to help balance supply and demand whilst making better use of renewable generation.”
Oral Evidence, Faraday Institution supplemental written evidence
Committee final report: Battery strategy goes flat: net-zero target at risk.
The Faraday Institution submitted written and oral evidence for the 2021 Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry on technological innovations and climate change: supply chain for battery electric vehicles.
The Faraday Institution’s submission emphasised that transitioning to an electrified future – in sectors ranging from transport and aviation to power generation and distribution – will require many types of batteries, some as yet to be imagined. These batteries need to be researched, developed, commercialised and manufactured in gigafactories in the UK for environmental and economic benefits to be fully realised. Sustained efforts to ensure and localise an efficient and effective UK supply chain will be required to improve availability and affordability of key battery materials and components for battery production. To support this, a comprehensive and unified national plan for battery cell production training is required to ensure a consistent delivery of skills across the UK.
The Faraday Institution responded to the Department of Transport consultation on bringing forward the end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2030. The submission discussed the UK’s battery demand for EVs from 2020 to 2050 and the UK demand for raw minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel based on projections of EV sales, battery capacity, and developments in battery chemistry. The policy outcome was that the phase out date for the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans was brought forward to 2030 and all new cars and vans be fully zero emission at the tailpipe from 2035.
The Faraday Institution submitted a response to the Committee on Climate Change’s call for evidence on the 6th Carbon Budget, focusing on the challenge of the UK’s EV resource supply chain. The submission provided estimates that it should be possible for supply chains to meet EV demand up to 2025, but serious bottlenecks could arise between 2025 and 2035 due to difficulties in scaling up production to meet future demand.
The Faraday Institution responded to the Zero Carbon Committee’s call for evidence on how to extend carbon pricing as a substantial part of the solution to the Net Zero challenge. The submission stressed the importance of investment in academic and commercial research and development to develop the technologies of the future to deliver the energy transition to reach Net Zero by 2050. The submission discussed that the price of carbon should be set pragmatically with evidence from consumer behaviour and that any revenues obtained should be used to invest in innovation and accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles.
The Nurse Review was commissioned as part of the 2021 UK Innovation Strategy, to describe the diversity of UK RDI organisations, to identify strengths and weaknesses, and to make recommendations for improvement to the RDI landscape, with a primary focus on researchers and RDI funded by the public purse. The Faraday Institution’s submission centred around a review of the types of overseas organisations directly competing with the Faraday Institution to develop and commercially exploit battery technology, and the funding values and timescales involved in programmes across the US, Germany and Japan.
The Review, published in March 2023, recognises the importance of independent research institutes in the research landscape, the need for secure long-term R&D funding and a long-lasting, consistent, systematic approach to policy development and safeguarding of the research, development and innovation landscape.
Contact Stephen Gifford, Chief Economist, [email protected] +44 1235 425300
regarding economics or policy studies being undertaken by the Faraday Institution.
