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 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, , 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.
