PRESS RELEASE
HELMOND, July 5, 2023 - The Battery Competence Cluster - NL received gratifying news on June 30: the National Growth Fund approved the "Material Independence & Circular Batteries" proposal.
Program for sustainable batteries and reduced dependence
The Battery Competence Cluster - NL (BCC-NL), together with more than 60 companies and knowledge institutions, has prepared this proposal with the aim of making the Netherlands less dependent on scarce and crucial raw materials for batteries, and to exploit opportunities within the battery industry. The program focuses on sustainable and circular batteries that are of great importance for the heavy transport sector and strengthening the power grid. With a duration of eight years, the program represents a total budget of approximately €800 million.
Moniek Tromp, figurehead of the National Growth Fund proposal, emphasizes the importance of this approval: "The approval of this project is of enormous importance and will create significant opportunities for Dutch industry. With our unique knowledge and competencies in materials science, high-tech systems and systems integration, we can and should play a leading role in the energy transition through battery technology and its material independence. This eight-year program enables the Netherlands to actually strengthen our (inter)national position and increase our impact in the entire battery chain."
Three program lines
The program focuses on three program lines, with a well-organized chain of companies and knowledge institutions working closely together. The focus is on sustainable material supply, the development and scaling up of sustainable battery technology, and the realization of circular battery systems for mobile applications and grid stability.
RAI Automotive Industry NL, Oost NL and Brainport Development act as project coordinators on behalf of the Battery Competence Cluster - NL.
In the coming period, BCC-NL will work closely with the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate and the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RvO) to set up a grant application process for the partners involved.
The committee's full assessment, including its evaluation of the proposal, can be found here.
'Charging Energy Hubs' proposal also approved
The proposal by RAI Automotive Industry NL and Brainport Development, called 'Charging Energy Hubs', has also received approval for funding from the National Growth Fund. With this project, 28 parties intend to work together to develop decentralized energy systems to electrify the logistics sector and solve grid congestion.
The €44 million grant received will be used to realize the Charging Energy Hubs. These hubs will play a crucial role in better matching the supply and demand of renewable energy. This is of great importance as the electrification of the logistics sector brings with it an increasing need for charging infrastructure and the network could potentially become overloaded.
