UK battery materials developer Integrals Power has been selected to supply its patented lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) cathode active material to the €9 million Horizon Europe-funded OLiMPUS project, which aims to develop and industrialise LMFP battery cells using a European supply chain.
The project, coordinated by Norwegian research organisation SINTEF, brings together 16 partners spanning the battery value chain, including Volvo Trucks, Magna Steyr, Verkor, Vianode and Corvus Energy. Running until 2030, the initiative aims to establish the technology and manufacturing capability needed for European mass production of LMFP battery cells by 2032.
Integrals Power will manufacture and supply more than 150kg of its manganese-rich LMFP cathode active material. The company will also be responsible for scaling up and industrialising its manufacturing process while supporting cell prototyping and performance validation.
More than 130 automotive-grade cells will be produced during the project on SINTEF’s pilot production lines and at Verkor’s gigafactory facilities in pouch and prismatic formats ranging from 10Ah to 80Ah. The partners are targeting cell energy densities of up to 220Wh/kg.
The project will also focus on reducing the environmental impact of battery production. Water-based electrode coatings will replace conventional N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)-based slurries, while a semi-dry coating process is expected to reduce drying energy requirements. Synthetic graphite anodes will also be used to lower the overall carbon footprint.
According to the project partners, OLiMPUS aims to achieve cell costs of €56–65/kWh and pack costs of €67–75/kWh, while lifecycle carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions are forecast to be around 1.8 million tonnes lower by 2050 than an equivalent deployment of NMC811 batteries.
Integrals Power: “establishing sovereign battery capability in the UK and Europe”
Behnam Hormozi, founder and CEO of Integrals Power, said: “Our participation in OLiMPUS is the clearest demonstration yet that Integrals Power’s patented LMFP technology is a key enabler for establishing sovereign battery capability in the UK and Europe. Third-party testing has already proven its high energy density, cycle life, and cold weather performance, and this project represents the next milestone in its development as we optimise the materials and processes for scale-up.
“A successful transition from fossil fuels to clean energy sources can only be achieved with a robust, transparent, sustainable, and cost-effective battery supply chain, and that requires alternatives to cell chemistries and manufacturing reliant on critical minerals and Chinese technology. The OLiMPUS project is laying the foundations for this, and we are extremely proud to be a part of it.”
Integrals Power said its LMFP material contains 80% manganese, enabling up to 20% higher energy density than conventional lithium iron phosphate (LFP) while retaining the chemistry’s advantages in cost, safety and cycle life. The company positions LMFP as an alternative to nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistries that eliminates the need for nickel and cobalt.
The OLiMPUS project is targeting applications in the automotive and maritime sectors, with defence and grid-scale energy storage also identified by Integrals Power as potential markets for its LMFP and LFP cathode materials.
