SUPERGEN - The Energy Storage Consortium

The UK needs better batteries to keep the lights on and cut transport emissions. This consortium brings together chemists, engineers, and electrical experts to develop new materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. The problem is twofold. First, the UK aims to generate 20% of its electricity from renewables by 2020, but wind and solar are intermittent—safe, reliable energy storage is essential to stabilise the grid when the wind doesn't blow. Second, transport accounts for 30% of CO₂ emissions, and hybrid electric vehicles—which rely on batteries and supercapacitors—are expected to become a key mode of transport over the next 20–30 years. Recent blackouts in London and New York have already shown what happens when network stability fails. If this research succeeds, it could improve the energy storage systems that quietly underpin the electricity grid and enable cleaner cars. Better batteries mean fewer power outages, more renewable energy on the grid, and lower emissions from transport. The project is applied and interdisciplinary, targeting a specific engineering challenge rather than fundamental science.