Welsh initiative seeks to build a better battery

The University of Glamorgan is collaborating with the Welsh firm Atraverda to develop a lighter, more powerful and more eco-friendly battery.

The initiative was announced upon the university’s launch of the UK’s first Advanced Bi-Polar Battery Development research facility.

Bi-polar batteries are widely regarded as having the best potential to replace the traditional lead acid battery. The university-Atraverda partnership aims to revolutionise the global battery industry by producing batteries that are up to 40 per cent lighter, 20 per cent smaller, have 40 per cent more energy capacity and twice the lifespan of traditional lead acid batteries.

Such next-generation batteries would also be more environmentally friendly, using up to 50 per cent less lead and producing 80 per cent less carbon dioxide during the manufacturing process. Bi-polar batteries are also 100-per cent recyclable and would be significantly cheaper than other battery types, such as lithium, now under development.

Bi-polar battery technology could be used in a wide range of applications, including hybrid and electric vehicle, telecommunications, uninterrupted power supply technology and renewable energy power storage for wind and solar installations.

Researchers aim to develop a “significant number” of prototype batteries in the first year, after which Atraverda and other partners will conduct commercial testing.

“This alliance between industry and academia has tremendous potential to develop the next generation of battery technology here in Wales,” said First Minister Rhodri Morgan. “It opens up exciting possibilities which could have a major impact not just on the global industry but also on our everyday lives.”