ACES: Capability Building

To enable knowledge transfer, enhance education and skills, and support successful technology deployment, capability building initiatives are being delivered across target regions. Battery Ambassador Hilton Chingosho led the initiative to build a Battery Network, together with webinar host Elvis Shoko, until March 2026. The initiative is now led by Battery Ambassador Gifty Serwaa Mensah and Elvis Shoko. The aim is to overcome fragmentation in battery activities across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia by fostering a cohesive battery community through webinars from subject experts on a range of topics. By July 2026, sixteen Battery Network webinars have been hosted, attracting more than 1,900 participants from over 65 countries.

The TEA Learning Partnership has been pivotal in publicising these events.

To March 2026 the following had been delivered:

1. Prof Ghulam Ali, ‘Developing layered cathode materials for sodium ion batteries’. No recording. Slides.
2. Prof David Howey, ‘Real-world performance of battery storage in small off-grid solar systems in Africa’. Watch the recording. Slides.
3. Dr Rob Sommerville, ‘Banking on Better Black Mass’. Watch the recording. Slides.
4. Prof Neeraj Sharma, ‘Crystal Chemistry to Commercial Sodium-ion Batteries’. Watch the recording. Slides.
5. Prof Saiful Islam, ‘No Small Matter: Exploring Oxide Cathode Materials on the Atomic Scale’. Watch the recording. Slides.
6. Prof Hiten Parmar, ‘The evolving EV and Battery Landscape in Africa’. Watch the recording.
7. Prof Mahlanyane Kenneth Mathe, ‘Africa’s Potential in Processing Critical Materials for Battery Manufacturing’. Watch the recording. Slides.
8. Prof Mauro Pasta, ‘Ion transport in potassium-ion batteries’. Watch the recording.
9. Helidah Wagude, ‘Second life batteries: A low-cost energy storage solution for minigrids’. Watch the recording. Slides.
10. Panel session with Julius Butime, William Muriithi, Winnie Njogo, Shaun Mumford, Asnath Gateri and Babra Mary Adhiambo, ‘Country Spotlight: Kenya’. Watch the recording. Slides.
11. Haseef Hizan, ‘FENECON: Turning Repurposed EV Batteries into Top Quality Utility-Scale BESS in South East Asia’. Watch the recording. Slides.
12. Prof Serena Margadonna, ‘From Materials Chemistry to Working Prototypes: Advancing Sodium-Ion Battery Technology’. Watch the recording. Slides.
13. Panel session with Ghulam Ali, Syed Ali Abbas Kazmi, Hasnat Mian and Hasnat Khan, ‘Country Spotlight: Pakistan’. Watch the recording. Slides.
14. Prof Venkataraman Thangadurai, ‘Solid State Electrolytes for Lithium Metal batteries’. Watch the recording.
15. Panel session with Prof Emeka Oguzie, Jono West, Ahmad Damcida, Prof Tajudeen Sikiru and Adrian Clews, ‘Country Spotlight: Nigeria’. Watch the recording.
16. Dr Vanchiappan Aravinda, ‘Recovery and Repurposing of Graphite from Spent Lithium-ion Batteries for Dual-ion Battery Systems and Beyond’. Watch the recording.

To register for future events please see Faraday Institution LinkedIn.