A public-private partnership has launched with the goal of developing a world-class European research and innovation battery market for stationary and mobile applications.
BATT4EU aims to develop a long-lasting and coordinated effort involving industry, research and the public sectors to meet the challenges of establishing a European battery industry.
The European Commission and the Batteries European Partnership Association (BEPA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) launching BATT4EU on 23 June, during the European Research and Innovation Days.
BATT4EU is a co-programmed partnership under Horizon Europe (the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation of the European Union).
By mobilising €925 million ($1.1 billion), the partnership will boost research and innovation to develop a variety of technologies that could lead to a competitive, sustainable and circular European battery value chain.
Rosalinde van der Vlies, director Clean Planet for DG RTD, said: “The partnerships with industry that are being supported in Horizon Europe are ambitious, impact-driven initiatives that respond to EU policy priorities. The BATT4EU partnership contributes directly to the goals of the European Green Deal by enabling widespread adoption of e-mobility and stationary electrical energy storage.”
The demand for batteries is continuously growing, however, the production of batteries is still highly concentrated in Asia with less than 1% of global lithium-ion battery cells are manufactured in Europe, compared to more than 90% in Asia, said BEPA.
In March, European Commission (EC) vice-president Maroš Šefčovič said Europe was set to become the second largest manufacturer— behind China— of lithium-ion batteries in the world by 2025.
In May, international not-for-profit association Flow Batteries Europe (FBE) was formed by 16 companies with the goal of accelerating the deployment of flow batteries and shaping a long-term strategy for the flow battery sector.
Sign up here to read more about Flow Batteries Europe in the Summer edition of BEST mag.