New Biomass Anode Technology and Silicon Electrodes with high Energy Density (New BATSEED)

A new battery anode made from biomass and silicon aims to boost the driving range of electric vehicles and enable faster charging. This matters because current EV batteries are limited by their anode materials. Most use graphite, which has a relatively low energy storage capacity. Silicon can store far more lithium ions, but it swells and degrades during charging. The project tackles this by combining a new biomass-derived carbon material with Nexeon’s silicon anode technology, creating a more stable, high-capacity electrode. If successful, the research could directly increase the energy density of automotive battery cells, meaning EVs could travel further on a single charge and recharge more quickly. The project also uses computer-aided cell design tools from Britishvolt and cell assembly facilities at Coventry University to build and test 21700 demonstration cells, while UCL’s Electrochemical Innovation Lab analyses electrode structures to refine the designs. This is applied research with a clear industrial pathway: the partners aim to validate new cell designs for eventual production, potentially improving the performance and cost-effectiveness of EV batteries without requiring entirely new manufacturing infrastructure.