By Canadian Press

Province funds battery research centre at University of B.C.

Jul 29, 2024 | 11:04 AM

KELOWNA, B.C. — The University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus is set to receive a $2 million investment by the province to start a battery innovation centre.

The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation says in a statement that work at the centre will “focus on research and development of new battery technologies.”

Minister Josie Osborne says as reliance on battery-powered devices by people and industry grows, the project will create jobs and bolster the Okanagan’s “role as a battery and critical-mineral hub.”

The ministry says the centre is the first of its kind in Western Canada and will serve as a hub for testing and scaling up battery technologies that are potentially more efficient, safer and cheaper than lithium-ion batteries.

The centre will be part of the university’s Cleantech Hub, which was set up with federal government funding in 2021 to support academic-industry collaborations.

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The province says the funding will go toward construction and equipment costs for a facility within the centre that will make “pouch cells” for use in medical devices and other applications.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2024.

The Canadian Press