The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will
investigate UK supply chains for low-carbon vehicles, in the
latest evidence sessions for its inquiry into batteries and fuel
cells.
These evidence sessions can be followed live at www.parliamentlive.tv
from 10am tomorrow (Tuesday 25 May 2021).
The Committee will hear from researchers about supply chains of
critical materials for the manufacture of batteries, fuel cells
and electric motors. They will then question vehicle
manufacturers about their supply chains, to understand the flows
of components and the current scale of operations in the UK.
Across both sessions, the Committee will consider the potential
to reduce imports and environmental impacts by using alternative
materials, modifying technologies, and implementing large-scale
recycling to support the supply chains.
Witnesses
At 10.00am
-
Professor Magda Titirici, Chair in Sustainable
Energy Materials, Imperial College London
-
Professor Richard Herrington, Head of Earth
Sciences Department, Natural History Museum
-
Dr Paul Anderson, Reader in Inorganic and
Materials Chemistry, University of Birmingham; and Principal
Investigator of RELIB project, Faraday Institution
-
Dr Evi Petavratzi, Senior Mineral Commodity
Geologist, British Geological Society
At 11.00am
-
Rob Millar, Head of Electrical and Battery
Systems at Williams Advanced Engineering
-
David Wong, Senior Innovation & Technology
Manager, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
-
Buta Atwal, Chief Executive Officer,
Wrightbus; and Chief Executive Officer, Ryse Hydrogen
Possible questions
- How secure is the UK's access to key minerals for
manufacturing batteries, fuel cells and electric motors?
- Where in the world are the main sources of critical minerals,
and who influences the supplies?
- What are the environmental, safety and ethical impacts of
extracting and processing these minerals, and what initiatives
are in place to mitigate these impacts?
- How large a role could recycling play in the future, and what
changes in manufacturing would be needed?
- What is the potential for UK supply chains to be scaled up
further to support the level of vehicle manufacture needed to
meet decarbonisation targets? What would that take, from industry
and Government?
- How can the UK ensure it has a supply of skilled workers to
support the manufacture and maintenance of battery and fuel cell
vehicles?
