- ntegrals Power has been chosen as the cathode active materials supplier for a £2 million UK government-funded project to develop advanced battery technology for defence applications and electric vehicles
- Funding is through the Battery Innovation Programme, delivered by Innovate UK and supported by the Department for Business and Trade, as part of the government’s Industrial Strategy
- Hundreds of kilos of the Integrals Power’s patented Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP) will be produced at the company’s multi-tonne facility in Milton Keynes and used to manufacture pouch and cylindrical cells at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre’s (UKBIC) new Flexible Pilot Line in Coventry
- Programme lead Denchi Group will integrate the cells into battery packs at its manufacturing plant in Thurso, Scotland, including its specialised BB-2590 design – the rugged, waterproof units are designed specifically for military applications, including communications equipment, sensors, and drones
- The 30-month project is the first of its kind to use an end-to-end supply chain based in the UK and Europe, demonstrating the sovereign capability that is becoming essential for Defence applications within NATO
- LMFP does not rely on critical minerals such as Cobalt, is less costly to produce that Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese (NMC) chemistries, and delivers higher energy density than Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), for which China dominates global supply
Milton Keynes – UK battery technology company Integrals Power will manufacture and supply hundreds of kilos of its patented manganese-rich Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP) cathode active material to a new UK government-funded project to develop advanced battery technology for the defence and automotive sectors.
The future of these strategically important industries will require batteries that can provide an ideal balance of energy density, safety, robustness, and cost, for which LMFP is ideally suited. LMFP can also be produced from raw materials sourced from Europe and North America, and does not use critical minerals.
The 30-month, £2 million programme, led by specialist battery supplier Denchi, will produce hundreds of demonstrator cells in pouch and cylindrical form factors – the latter in both 21700 and 4695 sizes. These will be manufactured on the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre’s (UKBIC) new Flexible Pilot Line in Coventry, then assembled into battery packs at Denchi’s facility in Thurso, Scotland.
Funding has been secured through the Battery Innovation Programme, delivered by Innovate UK and supported by the Department for Business and Trade, as part of the government’s Industrial Strategy, supporting the UK’s transition to a globally competitive battery sector.
Integrals Power Founder and CEO, Behnam Hormozi, said: “Our involvement in this programme reflects the growing recognition that LMFP will transform battery performance, cost, and supply chain resilience. By eliminating reliance on critical minerals such as cobalt and nickel while delivering higher energy density than LFP, LMFP is well suited to the evolving requirements of both defence and automotive applications. We are proud to contribute our materials expertise to a project that is helping to advance secure, sustainable battery technologies in the UK and beyond.”
The first validation trials will be carried using Denchi’s current BB-2590 design, which was developed specifically for military use, including radios, sensor systems, unmanned aerial and ground platforms, and back-up power supplies for aircraft and marine systems. These ruggedised, waterproof packs, which weigh around 1.35 kg, will have the existing Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) cells replaced by the new LMFP cells.
Advanced battery technology will play an increasingly important role in the defence sector as demand for advanced energy storage systems increases. Serving as a demonstrator for the sovereign capability needed by the UK defence industry, the programme is the first of its kind to prove that UK suppliers can deliver an end-to-end solution.
“With more than 20 years’ experience supplying the military with British designed and built battery systems, we have a very clear understanding of what the defence sector needs as electrification becomes a core element of future strategy,” said Andrew Cowie, CEO, Denchi Group. “Sovereign capability is absolutely paramount, and by working in partnership on this programme with Integrals Power, UKBIC, and the UK government, we are playing our part in delivering exactly that. We look forward to building the first LMFP battery packs and getting them out into the field for validation trials.”
China dominates the global battery industry, and manufactures most of the world’s LFP cells.1 LFP is taking a growing share of the EV battery market because it is cheaper, safer, and more durable than the NMC chemistry traditionally favoured by OEMs in the UK, Europe, and the US. But with China imposing export licences on LFP cells, materials, and manufacturing technology, there is growing demand for a more resilient, more sustainable supply chain that is independent of China. Should it wish to halt supply, the disruption would be crippling: the IEA estimates some $17billion in lost output from EV plants around the world, with Europe accounting for more than half.2
“Collaboration across the UK battery ecosystem is essential to translating innovation into long-term, strategic capability. Our new Flexible Pilot Line has a key role to play in this because it enables customers to accelerate the cost-effective scale-up of their technologies. Supporting the development of LMFP cells within an integrated UK supply chain is an important step towards strengthening long-term competitiveness in a broad range of sectors, including defence and automotive,” said Sean Gilgunn, UKBIC Managing Director.
Integrals Power’s LMFP material has a high manganese content of 80%, which enables up to 20% greater energy density than conventional LFP while retaining its key advantages. This combination of attributes, together with freedom from expensive Cobalt and Nickel and makes it a compelling alternative.
