Nanotechnology To Drive Energy Storage Device Improvement

The Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network, one of the UK's primary knowledge-based networks for Micro and Nanotechnologies, has announce the impact of their work in the clean energy sector to generate growth and commercial success for the UK.

The NanoKTN plays a key role working within emerging technology sectors to remove barriers to growth and help stimulate the investment needed to enhance success in these growth technology areas. 

However, sometimes, it is necessary to campaign from the "˜bottom up' to stimulate interest and awareness of new opportunities.

An example is in the electrical energy storage market - such as batteries and super-capacitors. In 2010, Dr Martin Kemp, who leads the "˜nano-enabled clean energy' focus group called "˜Nano4Energy' at the NanoKTN, commenced a market analysis to identify where nanotechnology would have the most impact in clean energy. The conclusions were that electrical energy storage devices were a key growth market needing performance improvements, and these would largely be dependent on nanotechnology.  

The NanoKTN initiated discussions with industry to explore a mechanism to develop a UK battery development centre. These discussions involved Axeon, Europe's largest independent designer and manufacturer of lithium-ion battery systems, and were eventually adopted by The Automotive Council Technology Group to pursue. Importantly, this gave the concept the backing of the UK automotive industry in order to develop batteries for the electric and hybrid vehicles market.

In a further step to test the concept, the NanoKTN hosted an Industry Stakeholder Forum in June 2012 and chaired by Dr Martin Kemp of the NanoKTN. The forum was in collaboration with the IET and the Transport and ESP KTNs, and published its conclusions in a report entitled "˜Mobile and Small-Scale Energy Storage "“ Towards a New UK Industry'. The forum attracted 20 UK industry companies with an interest in energy storage, and further developed the case for cross-market networking and engagement to facilitate commercial exploitation of new battery technologies in mobile and small-scale static energy storage (i.e. <1mW to around 75kW). A case was then submitted to the Technology Strategy Board for a "˜Technology Innovation Centre' (now known as Catapult Centres) in energy storage development.    

The launch in 2012 of the £13M UK Energy Storage R&D Centre at the HVM Catapult at the University of Warwick was a direct result of one of three major recommendations from the NanoKTN's industry consultation report. Co-funded by Government (£9 million) and industry (£4 million), the UK Energy Storage R&D Centre will capitalise on the growing electric and hybrid vehicle battery market, which has been estimated to be worth £250 million for the UK by 2020.

The centre is the latest move by Government to secure future growth opportunities for the UK's automotive sector, building on its £400m commitment over the next four years to supporting electric cars and other ultra-low carbon vehicles.

Dr Martin Kemp, Theme Manager at the NanoKTN, explained "At the NanoKTN, we work with our members to create an entrepreneurial environment to deliver new industries and markets. We identified this opportunity, planted the seed, and brought together the key players in the automotive and battery manufacture industries to deliver this UK manufacturing centre. As an emerging technology, you need a vision to realise manufacturing success from nanotechnology, and working together with UK companies we can influence the political and industrial landscape to assist the pull through to commercialisation of nanotechnology applications to further drive UK manufacturing success."

Established by the Technology Strategy Board, the NanoKTN is managed by Centre for Process Innovation Ltd, a leading technology development and consulting company.