The Faraday Institution
The Faraday Institution is a British research institute aiming to advance battery science and technology. It was established in 2017 as part of the UK's wider Faraday Battery Challenge.[1] It states its mission as having four key areas: "electrochemical energy storage research, skills development, market analysis and early-stage commercialisation".[2] The Institution is headquartered at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus near Oxford. It is a limited company and is a registered charity with an independent board of trustees.
Founded | 12 September 2017 |
---|---|
Founder | Ryan Bayliss Peter Bruce David Greenwood Stephen Heidari-Robinson |
Type | Research institute |
Registration no. | England and Wales: 10959095 |
Focus | Electrochemical Energy storage, Electric battery research |
Location | |
Coordinates | 51.579344°N 1.307642°W |
CEO | Pamela Thomas |
Website | faraday |
Name
![](../I/Faraday_Michael_Christmas_lecture.jpg.webp)
The Faraday Institution is named after Michael Faraday,[3] an English scientist who contributed to the basic understanding of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. He popularised the now common battery terminology "anode", "cathode", "electrode" and "ion". Faraday lectured on education at the Royal Institution in 1854[4] and appeared before a Public Schools Commission to give his views on education in Great Britain. Between 1827 and 1860 at the Royal Institution, Faraday presented nineteen Christmas lectures for young people. The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures series continues today, broadcast on the BBC.
Following this tradition, the Faraday Institution runs education and public engagement activities. In 2019, it launched a public discussion series on batteries with the Royal Institution[5][6] and continued the programme in 2020, 2021 and 2022.[7][8]
Research programmes
The Faraday Institution currently focuses on research in lithium-ion batteries, "beyond" lithium-ion battery technologies and energy storage for emerging economies.[9] Research is conducted in multidisciplinary teams with expertise that ranges across chemical engineering, chemistry, data and computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, law, materials science, maths and physics.
Lithium ion
- Battery degradation
- Multi-scale modelling[10]
- Battery recycling and reuse[11]
- Electrode manufacturing[12]
- Cathode materials[13][14]
- Battery safety[15]
Beyond Lithium ion
Batteries for Emerging Economies
With funding from the FCDO, in 2020 the Faraday Institution commenced research on battery technologies for use in developing countries and emerging economies.[18]
- Soluble lead flow batteries
- Graphite polysulphide single liquid flow batteries[19]
Founding universities and participating universities
The Faraday Institution was founded by seven universities:[1]
- Imperial College London
- Newcastle University
- University College London
- University of Cambridge
- University of Oxford
- University of Southampton
- University of Warwick
The Faraday Institution's research projects are competitive and open to all academic battery researchers and research groups in the UK.[20]
In 2020, university participants included the following:[21]
- Imperial College London
- Cardiff University
- Coventry University
- Lancaster University
- Newcastle University
- University College London
- University of Cambridge
- University of Oxford
- University of Southampton
- University of Warwick
- University of Bath
- University of Birmingham
- University of Cambridge
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Leicester
- University of Liverpool
- University of Manchester
- University of Nottingham
- University of Oxford
- University of Portsmouth
- University of Sheffield
- University of Southampton
- University of St. Andrews
- University of Surrey
- University of Warwick
Impacts on policy
The Faraday Institution publishes white papers and reports[22] to inform both government and industry on energy storage science, technology, economics, supply chains[23] and employment. Its report on UK battery demand[24] was used to evidence the requirement for UK based automotive battery gigafactories[25] and the need for the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF)[26][27] to support establishing them.[28][29]
Battery Sustainability, Recycling and Reuse
The Faraday Institution participates in international efforts on sustainability and the recycling and reuse of lithium-ion batteries[30][31] in emerging economies and developing countries. An effort with NREL as part of the World Bank Energy Storage Partnership[32][33] led to the 2020 publication of "Global Overview of Energy Storage Performance Test Protocols"[34] that provides support and knowledge across the developing world on opportunities and technologies for energy storage in the electric sector. It contributed to the 2020 study "Reuse and Recycling: Environmental Sustainability of Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage Systems",[35] which offers an assessment of the role developing countries can play in this area.
It is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Battery Alliance, an international consortium focused on a circular economy and sustainable value chain for batteries and contributed to the 2019 report "A Vision for a Sustainable Battery Value Chain in 2030."[36]
Outreach and education
The Faraday Institution maintains outreach and education programmes[37] that extend across STEM,[38] undergraduate attraction,[39] doctoral training[40] and early career[41] professional development[42] to generate trained battery scientists and engineers.
To ensure the public has the best information on the opportunities and challenges of energy storage, and that future generations of scientists and engineers from all backgrounds are inspired to pursue promising STEM careers, the Faraday Institution has engaged delivery partners including the Royal Institution, SEO London, WISE Campaign, The Curiosity Box[43] and the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT).
Notable scientists associated with the Faraday Institution
- Peter Littlewood, Chair of the Board of Trustees
- Pamela Thomas, Chief Executive Officer
- Sir Peter Bruce, Chief Scientist
- Dame Clare Grey, Principal Investigator
- Serena Corr, Principal Investigator
- Saiful Islam, Principal Investigator
- Kristina Edström, Trustee
- Emma Kendrick, Principal Investigator
References
- "Business Secretary announces founding partners of £65 million battery technology research institution" (Press release). Department of Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP. 2 October 2017. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017.
- "Our Mission". The Faraday Institution.
- "Building on the Legacy of Faraday". The National Archives. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- Royal Institution of Great Britain; Whewell, William; Faraday, Michael; Latham, Robert Gordon; Daubeny, Charles; Tyndall, John; Paget, James; Hodgson, William Ballantyne; Lankester, E. Ray (Edwin Ray) (1917). Science and education; lectures delivered at the Royal institution of Great Britain. The Library of Congress. London, W. Heinemann. pp. 39–74 [51].
- "The Batteries are Coming". YouTube. The Royal Institution.
- "How Batteries Will Change Our World". Royal Institution. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- "The Hunt for New Batteries". YouTube. The Royal Institution.
- "The Hunt for New Batteries". Royal Institution. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- "Research Programme". Faraday Institution.
- "Multi-Scale Modelling". Imperial College London.
- "ReLiB". The University of Birmingham.
- "Nextrode". The University of Oxford.
- "FutureCat". The University of Sheffield.
- "CATMAT". The University of Bath.
- "SafeBatt". University College London.
- "SOLBAT". The University of Oxford.
- "LiSTAR". University College London.
- "Two research projects begin aiming to reduce the cost and improve the performance of battery technologies for use in developing countries and emerging economies – The Faraday Institution". 3 November 2020.
- "Batteries for Emerging Economies Details". The Faraday Institution.
- "EPSRC". EPSRC Calls for Proposals Faraday Phase 2. EPSRC. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- "Faraday Institution Annual Report 2019 / 2020" (PDF). The Faraday Institution. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- "Publications". The Faraday Institution.
- Evans, Dennis (10 September 2020). The Road to Zero Emissions: The Future of Trucks, Transport and Automotive Industry Supply Chains. Kogan Page. ISBN 978-1789665628.
- "UK electric vehicle and battery production potential to 2040" (PDF). The Faraday Institution.
- "Electric vehicles: driving the transition: Government Response to the Committee's Fourteenth Report of Session 2017–19". Parliament UK.
- "Batteries: Manufacturing Industries – Question for Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy". UK Parliament. 21 July 2020.
- "Automotive Transformation Fund". Advanced Propulsion Centre. 8 September 2021.
- "Not investing in electric car battery production could cost UK 105,000 jobs – study". The Guardian. 15 Mar 2020.
- "Has Britain hit the accelerator too late in race to meet gigafactory demand?". The Telegraph. 5 Dec 2020.
- Islam and Hossain (22 August 2020). Islam, Mazharul M; Hossain, M. Moazzem (eds.). Science and Technology Innovation for a Sustainable Economy. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-47166-8. ISBN 9783030471651. S2CID 241581277.
- Edulijee and Harrison (13 March 2020). Electronic waste management. p. 62. doi:10.1080/00202967.2020.1723255. ISBN 978-1-78801-744-2. S2CID 216272682.
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ignored (help) - "New International Partnership Established to Increase the Use of Energy Storage in Developing Countries". 28 May 2019.
- "Energy Storage Partnership Fact Sheet". ESMAP.
- "Global Overview of Energy Storage Performance Test Protocols" (PDF). An Energy Storage Partnership Report, NREL.
- "Reuse and Recycling: Environmental Sustainability of Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage Systems (English)". Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) World Bank Group. 10 September 2020.
- "A Vision for a Sustainable Battery Value Chain in 2030: Unlocking the Full Potential to Power Sustainable Development and Climate Change Mitigation" (PDF). World Economic Forum Global Battery Alliance. September 2019.
- "Education and Skills". The Faraday Institution.
- "STEM outreach". The Faraday Institution.
- "Undergraduates". The Faraday Institution.
- "PhD researchers". The Faraday Institution.
- "Early Career Researchers". The Faraday Institution.
- "Continuing Professional Development". The Faraday Institution.
- "Stem Day in a Box". The Curiosity Box.