The UK Government has announced £508,665 for two projects in Thurso, Scotland – Thurso+ and AcouBat, led by industry partner AMTE Power.
This UK Government funding is part of £49 million awarded to projects across the UK that will create thousands of jobs, save millions of tonnes of CO2 and lead the charge towards a low carbon automotive future.
Noting a surge of demand from customers for battery cells for electric vehicles, AMTE Power’s Thurso+ project is scaling up its battery cell production facility in Thurso. They are identifying opportunities to boost manufacturing productivity and supply battery cells to specialist vehicle manufacturers.
These learnings could be applied to future development and roll-out of a significant new UK facility. Thurso+ is being awarded £225,590. AcouBat, a testing feasibility for GigaFactory cell manufacturing, is being awarded £283,075.
The funding awarded will provide a real boost to scale electric vehicle battery production in Scotland and drive improvements in battery testing.
By continuing to support vital research and development, this funding will assist the sector in its recovery in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic while further accelerating the transition to zero emission vehicles. This will help spread prosperity across the UK with the creation of thousands of new jobs, and continue to make the UK a competitive and attractive place to invest.
The UK has a proud history of automotive manufacturing success, and the government continues to support the industry as it develops greener manufacturing processes.
The government’s ambition is for the UK to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and funding of this kind will ensure the UK continues to be a world-leader in securing a prosperous, zero-carbon future.
Minister for Business and Industry Nadhim Zahawi said:
The UK is leading the global battle against climate change, and by developing cleaner vehicles, our automotive industry will help make our net zero ambitions a reality.
Backed by government funding, these trailblazing projects will help Britain to build back better by creating all-important green jobs, ensuring the sector can make further strides towards an electrified automotive future and helping to address one of the biggest challenges of our time: making transport greener.
UK Government Minister for Scotland, David Duguid, said:
Innovation is an essential part of helping to tackle the climate emergency. It’s very encouraging to see exciting green Scottish projects striving to find solutions to make the changes necessary to save our environment.
This UK-Government funding is well deserved and will help us bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic. I urge others to join us in this year of climate action ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.
