bp invests in new UK battery research and development centre

Energy

United Kingdom – bp plans to invest up to £50 million (roughly $60 million) in a new analytical laboratory and testing facility for electric vehicle (EV) batteries in the UK.

The UK’s energy system will receive up to £18 billion in new investments from BP by the end of 2030; this additional investment is yet another sign of BP’s dedication to the nation.

The new facilities will support the technology, engineering, and science roles currently housed at bp’s current global headquarters for its Castrol business in Pangbourne, Berkshire, and are scheduled to open by the end of 2024. The facility already conducts research and development on fuels, lubricants, and EV fluids and aspires to become the UK’s top center for fluid engineering and technologies.

In an effort to move the industry closer to reaching the critical tipping points for widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), the new facilities will advance the development of cutting-edge fluid technologies and engineering for hybrid and fully battery electric vehicles. With the help of Castrol ON advanced e-fluids, batteries can be charged more quickly and more efficiently, allowing electric vehicles to travel farther on a single charge and extending the lifespan of the drivetrain.

Future battery technology

Advanced e-fluid engineering and technologies can also be used in other sectors, such as the exponentially growing market for thermal management fluids for data centers. Since 2010, the number of internet users worldwide has doubled, and the amount of global Internet Protocol (IP) traffic has increased 15-fold. This trend is anticipated to continue over the following ten years. The majority of global Internet Protocol (IP) traffic passes through data centers.

Castrol wants to use the new facilities to keep working with automakers and suppliers to jointly develop thermal management fluids and future battery technology. Additionally, it will work to create the upcoming technologies needed to support the ultra-fast charging that forms the basis of bp pulse’s expansion plan.

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