Nusrat Ghani MP, Minister of State for Industry and Economic Security at the Department for Business and Trade and Minister of State for the Investment Security Unit at the Cabinet Office.Batteries will play an essential role in our energy transition and our ability to successfully achieve net zero by 2050. High capacity and reliable rechargeable batteries are a critical component of many devices, modes of transpor. Nusrat Ghani MP, Minister of State for Industry and Economic Security at the Department for Business and Trade and Minister of State for the Investment Security Unit at the Cabinet Office.Batteries will play an essential role in our energy transition and our ability to successfully achieve net zero by 2050. High capacity and reliable rechargeable batteries are a critical component of many devices, modes of transport, and our evolving energy generation capability.Today we publish the UK's first battery strategy, alongside the Advanced Manufacturing Plan. This includes the government's commitment to over £2 billion in new capital and R&D funding being made available for the automotive sector, supporting the manufacturing and development of zero emission vehicles, their batteries and supply chain for 5 years to 2030. This strategy represents a whole of government effort, developed with business.The government's 2030 vision is for the UK to have a globally competitive battery supply chain that supports economic prosperity and the net zero transition. The UK will be a world leader in sustainable battery design and manufacture, underpinned by a thriving battery innovation ecosystem. Batterie. Batteries are essential products in modern, industrialised economies. In recent years, they have grown in importance as they power many of the technologies that will enable the transition towards net zero. Primary uses include personal and commercial transportation and grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), which allow us to use electricity more flexibly and decarbonise the energy system in a cost-effective way.[footnote 16] Batteries are also important to national security and underpin the UK's ability to develop innovative defence capabilities. As batteries become lighter, smaller, and more efficient, the aerospace, rail, and marine sectors, among others, are expected to increase their use of these technological advances.Current battery production features complex value chains spanning multiple continents and is heavily reliant on East Asia.[footnote 17] Like most countries, the UK currently meets the bulk of its domestic demand for batteries and their components through imports.[footnote 18] Given that batteries are a vital component of many modern technologies, securing investment into the battery value chain is also important to economic security.The global demand for batteries is expected to rise dramatically over the coming decades,[footnote 19] and the UK is uniquely positioned to seize the o. Why is the battery sector important for the UK?Batteries are essential products in modern, industrialised economies. In recent years, they have grown in importance as they underpin many of the technologies that will enable the transition towards net zero. They are a vital component in personal and commercial transportation, including hybrid and fully electric cars, buses, vans, and lorries. Grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) enable us to use electricity more flexibly and decarbonise the energy system in a cost-effective way.[footnote 31] As the technology and innovation in battery design, manufacturing, transportation, and deployment evolves, so will the development of additional applications.Batteries are also important to the UK's national security and underpin the UK's ability to develop innovative defence capabilities - including communication systems, fighter jets and nuclear submarines.We already have significant battery sector capabilities, as shown in Figure 1, including a fully operational gigafactory with an output of 2GWh.[footnote 32]. Investment in UK battery manufacturing is increasing, including the new AESC Group gigafactory being built in Sunderland – AESC UK plant 2 – and Tata Group's announcement of the construction of a new gigafactory, jointly creating over 5,000 jobs and increasing UK production capacity significantly to an estimated 52GWh.[footnote 33] This follows signific. The UK's vision and objectivesThe government's 2030 vision is for the UK to have a globally competitive battery supply chain that supports economic prosperity and the net zero transition. The UK will be a world leader in sustainable design, manufacture, and use of batteries, underpinned by a thriving battery innovation ecosystem.The strategy was developed with the UK Battery Strategy Taskforce, drawing on the Call for Evidence[footnote 78] and engagement with businesses and stakeholders. The strategy sets out the government's activity to support our objectives and sets a framework for our future work with industry to support the sector.Given the high forecast demand for batteries over the coming years, businesses are investing significantly in the UK battery supply chain. In 2023, we have already secured 52GWh in planned capacity for the UK – over halfway to meeting 2030 demand. Recent public-private investments include both Tata Group's £4 billion investment to build one of Europe's largest gigafactories[footnote 79] and new investment by Nissan and AESC to create an electric vehicle manufacturing hub in Sunderland.[footnote 80] The UK is well placed to build on these investments and our comparative advantages, including:Our battery research expertise, where the UK ranks third in the world in terms of research quality, and leading work on sodium-ion batteries.[footnot. This strategy is designed to set an ambition and the government's framework for implementation. The actions cut across government departmental boundaries, so it will be important that departments work together effectively.With the launch of this strategy, different arms of government are engaging to agree an action log to manage its delivery. Actions will be assigned, monitored, evaluated, and adapted through established governance and accountability arrangements across government.We will continue to convene a Battery Strategy Taskforce, adapting its scope (and membership, if needed) to advise on the delivery of the strategy, emerging risks to security of supply, and opportunities for the UK government.We are committed to ongoing engagement with businesses, through representatives on the Taskforce and wider engagement, to ensure that implementation works for businesses.We will consider in due course the most appropriate metrics and reporting mechanism to measure our delivery against the strategy and its effectiveness.There.
