CellMap: How different parameters influence cost and performance of battery cells from material to the final cell

Asian manufacturers still supply most of the world's cheap and large batteries. However, in recent years, a number of initiatives have developed in Europe and Norway to provide alternatives, aiming to make Europe energy-independent. Norway's modern production sector wants to reap the benefits of the country's environmentally friendly electricity. Norway's battery industry has the potential to deliver cells and materials with a much smaller carbon footprint than its competitors. Although Norway's experience in this field still lags behind countries with established battery companies, we have made significant progress over the past year. CellMaps' task is to strengthen Norway's growing battery sector by accelerating the development of relevant skills at the national level. We have now begun producing electrodes, with a particular focus on slurry mixing. This represents an important step forward in our understanding of the production process. We have also devised a plan to digitalize the cell line and manage the data generated. This will help optimize production and make it easier to integrate new materials and methods. We continue to make use of NABALA's cell pilot line infrastructure to map the entire production of cells. One of the most important aspects in determining whether a production-based business will succeed or fail is how quickly new materials, information, and methods can be transferred from the lab bench to the factory floor. Our ongoing efforts in electrode production and digitalization will help accelerate this process. As we build new cell factories and production lines, our thorough understanding of each step in the process and how it can be scaled up will save waste and accelerate the integration of new materials. Our recent progress in electrode production and plans for digitalization bring us closer to this goal, strengthening Norway's position in the global battery industry.

Today’s battery industry is dominated by Asia-based companies, already delivering batteries in large volumes and at low cost. However, several European and Norwegian initiatives have recently emerged to provide alternative supply, aiming to establish European energy independence. Modern Norwegian industry aims to capitalize on the advantage of clean, environmentally friendly electricity. Battery production in Norway has the scope to deliver cells and materials with a considerably lower CO2 footprint compared to competitors. Practical competence in Norway, however, still lags behind countries with existing battery industries. The goal of CellMap is to strengthen the position of the emerging Norwegian battery industry by accelerating the growth of the required competences at national level. Specifically, we will use the National Advanced Battery Laboratory (NABALA) cell pilot line infrastructure to map every stage of the cell production process. This will increase the rate at which we can transfer materials, knowledge and methods from the laboratory bench to the factory, bringing industrial processes up to optimal yield faster—one of the key factors determining success or failure for a production-based business. Clear understanding of all the stages of cell production and how they can be scaled-up will reduce the scrap rate when new cell factories and production lines are built and accelerate integration of new materials into existing production processes.