3 minute read - 12th June 2025
UKBIC opens new facility for battery innovation projects
The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has opened its new clean and dry zone (CDZ), which is now available for use by cell developers, equipment manufacturers, and specialists working in the battery sector. Capable of maintaining the precise, climate-controlled conditions needed in the production of high-quality, reliable cells, the 800m² CDZ comprises five independent rooms that can be rented individually or collectively for a range of uses.
The five controlled environment areas are ISO 7 clean rooms that use an air filtration system to maintain air cleanliness levels, and which have the capability of reaching a minus 40°C dew point. The flexible empty spaces range in size from 83m² to 245m², and are three metres in height. One room features a ceiling height of five metres in parts to accommodate processes that require additional height. A smart card controls access to each room, protecting the customer’s intellectual property.
UKBIC is the UK’s national battery development facility, providing scale-up, laboratory expertise, and module and pack assembly / Picture: UKBIC
Richard LeCain, UKBIC’s chief technology officer, said: “We’re delighted to unveil our clean and dry zone, tailored to meet the fast-evolving demands of the battery industry. One of the largest costs for cell and material developers is buying, installing and paying for the ongoing costs of keeping large areas dry. These dynamic, climate-controlled spaces are designed with flexibility for different customers in mind and offer the perfect environment for specialised testing, manufacturing, and R&D, enabling customers to increase their technology readiness levels without a large outlay in capex and opex.”
UKBIC is part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, a £657m investment programme which supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK.
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UKBIC has opened its unique clean and dry zone (CDZ), which is available for use by cell developers, equipment manufacturers, and specialists working in the battery sector / Picture: UKBIC
As the UK’s national battery development facility, UKBIC provides scale-up, laboratory expertise, and module and pack assembly, while also helping to develop skills that support the sector. With its Giga-scale equipment, battery technologies can be manufactured from electrode and cell materials through to battery modules and packs, providing the link between prototype scale and mass production.
UKBIC offers two house cell designs: a 21700 cylindrical cell and a 300 x 100 mm pouch, which customers can use as a guide to further develop and scale their own technologies. The open-access facility, which doesn’t take a share of clients’ IP, has seen several new facilities introduced in recent months.
These include a new battery development laboratory, a flexible clean and dry zone and new cell cyclers. A smaller-scale, flexible pilot line, used for product development, validation, and commercial activities, is due to come online later this year and provides a missing link between its main line and university-scale demonstrator lines elsewhere.
