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

By: The Canadian Press Posted:

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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.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/07/2024 (777 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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.”

B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, Josie Osborne, speaks during a news conference in Burnaby, B.C., on June 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, Josie Osborne, speaks during a news conference in Burnaby, B.C., on June 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

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.

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 publishedJuly 29, 2024.

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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."

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