Ilika PLC (AIM:IKA, OTCQX:ILIKF) said it has begun a six-month economic feasibility study to examine the potential construction of a dedicated 100 solid-state battery manufacturing line in partnership with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).
Supported by a £105,000 grant from the Advanced Propulsion Centre, this new collaboration started on 1 May and follows on from a study conducted with Stellantis’ industrial automation wing, Comau, into the machines and processes required for such a manufacturing line.
Both studies are focused on manufacturing around 100 MWh of Ilika's Goliath solid-state batteries per year for the electric vehicle market.
If feasible and in the best interests of both parties, Ilika said the new battery line at Coventry-based UKBIC’s battery product development facility would initially support its OEM customers’ validation and testing programmes, as part of its aim to scale its pre-pilot line production capacity from 50 kWh per year to 2 MWh per year.
After the prior study with Comau validated Ilika's plans for a 2 MWh scale-up that would eventually deliver and commission a fully operational facility by the end of 2023, the company said it had entered into discussions with equipment vendors, with the first equipment orders expected to be placed before the end of June.
UKBIC is a publicly-funded facility that provides support for any organisation with existing or new battery technology that will bring 'green jobs' to the UK.
“Ilika and UKBIC entered into a Framework Agreement at the end of 2020 on the basis that when the time was right, we would assess the feasibility of placing an Ilika megascale solid-state battery line at the UKBIC facility, utilising the expertise and existing equipment alongside the bespoke solid-state battery equipment identified in the SOLSTICE programme,” said Ilika chief executive Graeme Purdy.
“The time is now right: the scale up of Ilika's manufacturing capability for Goliath solid-state batteries has gained strong momentum as we accelerate towards delivering the batteries to the automotive markets.”
Ian Constance, chief executive of the Advanced Propulsion Centre, said: "We're really interested to see the outcomes of Ilika's feasibility study.
“To fully decarbonise the automotive sector we have to transition the EV supply chain at scale and pace and this study will explore opportunities for the UK to rapidly grow manufacturing in some of the most globally advanced and in-demand vehicle technologies, which in turn will lead to highly-skilled jobs and green growth.”