How lithium batteries are made by one of the UK's only producers

Sky's Ed Conway visits a lithium-ion battery factory in Scotland to explore how industry's 'sexiest' product is made - but for how much longer?

One of Britain’s only battery producers is considering shifting manufacturing from the UK to the US to benefit from American subsidies, Sky News can reveal.

It comes after America introduced an unprecedented set of subsidies for green companies as part of its multi-billion dollar Inflation Reduction Act.

#electicity #battery #lithium

[thecasualfront]

A tiny factory with 30 year old machines in the middle of nowhere. That’s our “pedigree”

[Altair]

Can we have a story on how they plan to deal with the old worn out batteries!

[hodgsonnn]

I sense a lithium factory explosion incoming

[lrrikin]

Do they really dig cobalt out with their bare hands at Basingstoke or is that just in the Congo?

[TomNook.]

This is like China showing off their football pedigree 😂😂😂

[cedriclynch]

I heard of this company in about 2000, when it was called AEA Technologies (it was one of the results of privatising the Atomic Energy Authority; that is how it comes to be in Thurso which is considered to be at a safe distance from London in the event of a serious malfunction). I had read about its lithium ion cells with an energy density of 120 watt-hours per kg and I thought "if I can buy a set of these for my electric motorcycle I will be able to go 200 miles on one charge". The company would not sell me loose cells but did offer to do me a custom battery pack, and estimated a price of £30, 000 for 5 kilowatt-hours. Much too expensive.
A year or two after this conversation I heard about the Chinese manufacturer Thunder Sky, and I bought 5 kilowatt-hours of their lithium cells also with 120 watt-hours per kg for about £1500.

Can this UK firm now actually sell cells to people who would like to buy them, at a competitive price?

[T-bit]

Risk assessment; Lots of chemical explosions, train crashes etc in America at the moment.

[willyjensen]

If I throw peanuts on the floor, no Brith will scramble to collect the peanuts. Briths should be innovating and only produce for special purposes applications.

[thehumancanary]

I think they should call a halt to Lithium-Ion battery production. The reason being there is an egg shortage in the UK. In 2001 the eggs produced by Battery Hens was revolutionised when the industry shifted to Lithium-Ion batteries. These often explode spontaneously, ruining the hen’s undercarriage. After they, they can only produce scrambled eggs – and there is just no market for them.

[tatradak]

75 thumbs up, its pathetic how few are interested, thx Sky News for this very interesting vlog..

[nzs]

Something noteworthy…has anyone heard of their lithium batteries ever catching fire like Chinese batteries?
The answer is probably no!

[gavinmc]

so, in batteryworld, 'back in the day' means the 1980s

where -
how -
c&a
cells
where -
what for -
how long -
how much -

on govt - do they know it's battery time?

🧂&🔋

what next - battery farms?

[michaelhoward]

Yawn, a made bigger turds than a 'C' battery.

[markdempsey]

Ah with Volt gone the UK needs a new poster boy for Brexit Britain.