The US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory is teaming with the Commonwealth of Kentucky as well as the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville to establish a national battery manufacturing centre.
The idea behind the centre is that it will help develop and deploy a domestic supply of advanced battery technologies for vehicle applications. Its goals are to support the development of the industry; make it easier for collaboration between federal labs, manufacturers, universities and suppliers; to develop advanced manufacturing technology to reduce production costs; and to accelerate the commercialisation of technologies developed at the national laboratories and universities.
According to Mark Peters, deputy associate laboratory director of Energy Sciences & Engineering at Argonne, the initial focus is on lithium-ion battery manufacturing but in the long term the centre hopes to develop technologies that can increase in energy densities such as lithium-air and zinc-air systems.
The formation of the centre has received endorsement from the Ford Motor Company as well as battery manufacturers. It will be located in central Kentucky to make the most of the research facilities available at the two universities with complementary facilities also located at Argonne.
The centre should be eligible for funding from the Commonwealth of Kentucky through bonds, incentive programmes and tax credits.
