Do We Need A UK Lithium-Ion Battery Factory?
My post, Gore Street Acquires 50MW Ferrymuir Battery Project, Eyes More In Scotland and the article on the Energyst with the same name, got me thinking.
It was this statement about Gore Street Energy Fund, that really started the thought.
The fund said the addition takes its portfolio built or under development to 293MW and added that is has options for a further 900MW.
Gore Street obviously have the money to build all of this energy storage.
- I have also looked at some of their projects on Google Maps and there are still plenty of sites on green- or brown-field land close to electricity sub-stations, where energy storage would be easy to connect.
- I suspect, they have some good engineers or electricity marketing specialists available.
- My worry, would be, with many countries going the energy storage route, is there enough capacity to build all the batteries we need.
We have three routes, we could easily take in this country.
- Convert suplus energy to hydrogen using electrolysers from ITM Power in Rotherham.
- Develop some BALDIES (Build Anywhere Long Duration Intermittent Energy Storage). British technology is available as the CRYObatteryfrom Highview Power, who signed to build their first full-size plant in the UK, last week.
- Build a lithium-ion battery factory. Preferably of the next generation, so that battery vehicles will go further on a charge.
It is my view, that we should do all three!
Will Gore Street, add a BALDIES to their portfolio of lithium-ion energy storage.
- In World First As Liquid-Air Energy Storage Makes Commercial Debut Near Manchester United Ground, I gave costs of £110/MWh for a CRYObattery and £231-470/MWh for lithium-ion batteries.
- Nothing exotic like lithium is needed to build a CRYObattery.
- Highview claim they can build bigger batteries than Elon Musk.
- They wouldn’t be the first substantial order.
I think the decision makers at Gore Street would sleep comfortably in their beds if they bought a CRYObattery for a location, that needed a larger battery.
Conclusion
As to the answer to my question, the answer is yes, as mobile application will need more and better batteries and on balance, we should have our own supply.
The Tesla battery gigafactory in Nevada cost 5 billion dollars. Without massive govt funding no major company is going to invest that much in the UK without some finality on trade agreements.
Comment by William McIntyre | June 24, 2020 |
Another reason, to builCRYObattery and their ilk! Lithium ion should be for mobile applications.
But there are rumours of a large lithium-ion battery factory, that is looking for government funding.
https://anonw.com/2020/05/20/uks-first-car-battery-gigafactory-to-be-built-by-two-startups/
Our vehicle manufacturers would probably applaud!
Comment by AnonW | June 25, 2020 |