- Britishvolt, the leading UK battery technology specialist, to collaborate with world-leading technology and service provider, Siemens PLC
- Siemens is providing Britishvolt with access to its Digital Enterprise Technology, design, execution and simulation tools to speed up lithium-ion battery development and production
- Britishvolt's battery gigaplant, set to be located in the North East of England, is one of the UK's largest-ever industrial investments
- Production of world-class batteries to begin at the end of 2023
LONDON, Jan. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Britishvolt, Britain's foremost investor in battery technologies, today announces that it has entered into an exclusive technology collaboration agreement with Siemens.
The collaboration will see Siemens provide Britishvolt with access to its automation, electrification solutions and Digital Twin manufacturing execution technology. This innovative system gives the opportunity to simulate gigaplant production processes and flows ahead of construction completion, optimising design and efficiencies. It also promises to speed up delivery times, allowing Britishvolt to stay on track to deliver the first lithium-ion batteries at the end of 2023.
Additionally, Siemens is providing Britishvolt with its latest design and simulation development tools, accelerating the time it takes for state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery cells to go from laboratory to production at scale.
Britishvolt CEO, Orral Nadjari: "We are delighted to enter into this technology collaboration. Working with Siemens and utilising its global expertise in Digital Twin and simulation technologies will play a pivotal role in Britishvolt achieving its tight deadlines to begin producing world-class batteries, at scale, by the end of 2023. Being able to simulate production of lithium-ion batteries and cell development speeds up a complicated process and allows us to bring crucial batteries to market quicker. Working with leading global partners such as Siemens helps us stay firmly on course in our mission to build the UK's first battery gigaplant."
Carl Ennis, CEO Siemens GB and Ireland: "This is an exciting and vital project to quickly ramp up availability at commercial scale of the batteries required by the electric vehicle market to help the UK reach its carbon net zero goals by 2050. In order to give manufacturers and end customers the confidence to switch to electric vehicles, we need to have this crucial part of the supply chain here in the UK.
"Siemens has the manufacturing and energy infrastructure technology and services to help Britishvolt build the most efficient, sustainable gigaplant. We are keen to start working with Britishvolt to get the Blyth site operational by 2023, supplying batteries and delivering crucial investment in the North East, helping to level up the UK economy."
Britishvolt's gigaplant is one the largest industrial investments ever undertaken in the UK and the largest in North-East England since the 1980s. With construction due to begin this summer, Britishvolt remains on track to begin production of world-leading lithium-ion batteries in 2023.
Notes to Editors
About Britishvolt
Britishvolt is Britain's foremost investor in battery technologies. It is dedicated to supporting the future of electrified transportation and sustainable energy storage, producing world-leading lithium-ion battery technologies.
Britishvolt's aim is to establish the UK as the leading force in battery technology. It is working with leading partners and suppliers to achieve this because it is of paramount importance to the future of the UK automotive industry and the overall economic and industrial health of the UK.
The company believes that the UK is the right place for its investments because of the strength of its automotive and energy industry, its expertise and history of industrial and academic battery research and development.
Quarter four of 2023 has been targeted as the start of production in Britain's first gigaplant.
