Fresh cash boost for University of Portsmouth battery research

A further £29 million has been committed to six key UK battery research projects, which include the University of Portsmouth’s battery modelling research.

The investment is from the Faraday Institution, a leader in energy storage research, for projects on extending battery life, battery modelling, recycling and reuse, safety, solid-state batteries, and lithium-sulphur batteries. 

Each project has been reshaped to focus on the area with the greatest potential for success and aims to transform the UK energy landscape to help reach the UK’s target of net zero by 2050, which includes banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. 

The University of Portsmouth’s research project will place greater emphasis on developing methods and techniques for next-generation models and modelling of batteries beyond lithium-ion. 

Dr Jamie Foster, from the University of Portsmouth’s School of Mathematics and Physics, is leading on multi-scale modelling research, which allows manufacturers to digitally design batteries without creating numerous physical prototypes.

Dr Foster said: “We’re working on advanced theoretical models which allow engineers to design batteries without having to create endless prototypes, therefore saving them time and money. 

“Batteries have active material in both the positive and negative electrode and we’re modelling better active materials, which we hope will result in batteries that last longer, not only in the lifetime of the battery, but also in its capacity to hold charge.”

Dr Foster and the team at Portsmouth have already developed DandeLiion, a piece of software which allows users to simulate lithium-ion batteries. 

Their aim is to make batteries as efficient as possible - especially in the car industry. 

Dr Foster said: “The UK government is banning sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, so it’s not a case of if we transition to electric cars, it’s a case of when. This means we’re playing a big part in the road to net zero emissions and we need to give manufacturers a tool that allows them to build even better and cheaper batteries, more quickly.”

Research in the six areas will progress over the next two years to 31 March 2025

The reshaping of the projects was a thorough process that involved revision of the scope of existing research areas, an open call for proposals in new research areas and input from senior researchers, the Faraday Institution’s expert panel, and a panel of internationally recognised independent experts from academia and industry. The focus was on how to enhance the UK’s position in electrochemical energy storage research and make the UK industry more competitive, building on the progress made over the past five years.

​Professor Pam Thomas, CEO, Faraday Institution, commented: “The Faraday Institution is committed to identifying and investing in the most promising and impactful battery research initiatives. This project refocusing is an important part of that process, and allows us to direct even more effort towards those areas of research that offer the maximum potential of delivering societal, environmental, and commercial impact.”

The funding for these projects came from the Faraday Battery Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK for UK Research and Innovation.

​Business and Trade Minister Nusrat Ghani said: “Growing the battery industry is vital to positioning the UK as the best location in the world to manufacture electric vehicles.

“This funding will help businesses become more innovative and productive, helping to create more skilled, high-wage jobs across the UK, future-proofing our economy and supporting our ambition towards a cleaner, greener future.”