Battery Technology (Hansard, 5 March 1996)

§ Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assistance he has given to universities and other research institutions engaged in battery technology. [18772]

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
Financial support from my Department to universities and other research institutions is by means of science budget allocation to the six UK research councils and subsequently by research grants to individual researchers or research units. Funds are available for research in batteries technology through the responsive grant mode in the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council. Detailed information on project expenditure for specific technologies that rely on a diverse range of underlying science is not collated centrally. The Engineering and Physical Science Research Council—EPSRC—has identified in its February 1996 publication "Response to Foresight" that a number of its programmes contribute to underpinning research in fuel cells and photovoltaics. It is intended that a specific managed programme in energy storage will be developed by the EPSRC across the materials, chemistry, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and clean technology programme, with a view to launching it in 1997.

§ Mr. Prentice
To ask the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the technology foresight initiative focused on battery technology; and what policy changes resulted. [18771]

§ Mr. Taylor
Battery technology emerged as a technology worthy of emphasis for the energy sector in the technology foresight exercise. The energy panel considered that the challenge to manufacture electricity storage systems with, say, four times the energy density and comparable life cycle of the traditional lead/acid battery at competitive cost, remained formidable. It identified additional requirements for advanced high-energy batteries, including improved state-of-change sensors and electronics for thermal management.
Following the recommendations of the technology foresight panel, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is proposing a directed research activity in energy storage, particularly batteries, which is expected to be launched in late 1996/early 1997. The main applications will be for uninterruptable power and for transport applications.