LiPLANET Bundles Know-how for Battery Production in Europe Development of a European Network Started
Under the leadership of the Technische Universität Braunschweig, eight consortium partners from industry and science are laying the foundation for a Europe network of pilot lines. These pilot lines are concerned with research and development in the production of modern lithium-based battery cells. The aim is to accelerate industrial series production of modern battery technologies. The European Commission is funding the establishment of the LiPLANET network, short for “Li-Ion Pilot Lines Network” for two years. The kick-off meeting took place in Brussels in February 2020.
The network aims at strengthening the position of the European Union in the strategic and fast-growing market for the production of Li-Ion battery cells. To this end, the relevant industrial and political actors as well as the pilot line operators are specifically involved in the design of the network. Within the LiPLANET network, cooperation between industrial and academic partners will also be strengthened. This will identify gaps in knowledge and equipment, close the existing gap between materials research and development and the industrial production of battery cells through training and measures, and simplify an overall increase in scale in production.
Accordingly, various activities will be carried out within the project:
- Mapping of the European Lithium-based battery cell research pilot lines
- Implementation of the network in a sustainable, non-profit business model
- Creation of a legal framework and development of an exchange platform for knowledge and data as a basis for cooperation between industry, science and research pilot lines
- Development of standards for the qualification of research pilot lines
- Development of a roadmap to support the competitiveness of large-scale industrial production of battery cells in Europe
Professor Arno Kwade, head of the Institute for Particle Technology at TU Braunschweig and LiPLANET project manager: “The timing of our activities is well chosen. The European battery cell production has only just begun to position itself in competition with Asian competitors. Our European industry needs strong research and development, which is significantly linked and strengthened by the network. Such a cross-border network for battery pilot lines, which brings together all important players, is unique in the world. I thank the European Commission for funding the project, without which the successful implementation of the network would hardly be possible.”
The Battery LabFactory Braunschweig (BLB) is located at the Braunschweig site with close links to the Automotive Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFF). Eight institutes of the TU Braunschweig (Institute for Particle Technology, Institute for Joining and Welding Technology, Institute for Energy and Systems Process Engineering, Institute for High Voltage Technology and Electrical Power Systems, Institute for Design Technology, Institute for Ecological and Sustainable Chemistry, Institute for Automotive Economics and Industrial Production and the Institute for Machine Tools and Manufacturing Engineering) as well as one institute each of the Leibniz University of Hannover, the TU Clausthal and PTB are involved in BLB.
Project data:
Within the framework of the Horizon 2020 programme, the European Commission is funding the project with two million euros (455,000 euros pro rata for TU Braunschweig) for a period from 1.1.2020 to 31.12.2022. In addition to TU Braunschweig, the core consortium of the project includes EIC InnoEnergy, EMIRI, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, CEA Liten, CIDETEC Energy Storage, ABEE – Avesta Battery Engineering and VDI/VDE Innovation & Technik.