The Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) has inaugurated a lithium-ion battery research centre for the development of electric vehicle batteries in Ulm, Germany.
The 3,600 square metres centre comprises of a complete industrial-scale battery manufacturing line supplied by Manz in order to develop automotive cells under real-world industrial conditions.
German industrial companys such as BASF, BMW or SGL Group are aimed to use the centre for the research of next-gen lithium-ion automotive battery to improve Germany’s position in the competitive battery market. First projects are scheduled for January 2015.
SGL Group, a Wiesbaden-based producer of graphite anode material for lithium-ion batteries, will together with the Lithium-ion Batteries Network of Expertise (KLiB) and other industry partners research large prismatic lithium-ion cells at the ZWS centre.
“This facility will close the gap between laboratory research and the development of lithium-ion cell production on an industrial scale in Germany,” said Frank Wittchen, chairman of SGL Group’s Business Unit Graphite Specialties.
“Our aim is to become the world’s leader of innovation, in particular in respect of modern battery production, which is the precondition for e-mobility ‘Made in Germany,” said Federal Research Minister Johanna Wanka.
The Federal Ministry for Education and Research invested €25.7m ($41.7m) in funding for equipment. The federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg contributed €6m ($7.6m) to build a 3.600 sq.m. extension.
The official opening ceremony took place on September 26.
