Recent news from the USA that scientists working at the Penn State University have invented a new type of non-cobalt battery that is capable of taking the average family car from 0-60 in three seconds, can be fully recharged in 10mins from a normal domestic supply and will give a range of 250ml between charges has made us here at Murky get our thinking caps out of their boxes and begin to ask if the technology factory being pushed by British Volt-Siemens, promoted by ADVANCE northumberland to be built in the Blyth River estuary has been superceded by both its timing and the Governments handling of our national image abroad and the limited trade deals being locked in after Brexit?
The unique American invention is seen by the world’s technology press as being prime to President Joe Bidens wish to refresh the USA commitment to a greener future and his need to increase jobs in America Country-wide.
The new batteries are based on lithium ion phosphate batteries which are much cheaper to produce than those using cobalt and have been extensively used by those who live in more remote places in the USA, Canada and Australia who have no access to mains power to live a modern lifestyle off-grid for a number of years. But the secret to the new longer use, longer range and quick charging ability is that the American batteries contain hot-core technology and can heat up to its prime operating temperature of 60 degree C very rapidly, has built in quick cooling abilities and has an expected running life of two million miles before it needs to be changed or recycled. With the average UK Motorist still driving less than 12,000Ml per year it would mean cars fitted with this new American battery will only need 10 minutes of cheap rapid charging four times per month and the batteries will last eleven times longer than the lifespan of an average family car.
The recycling of shorter life and lithium ion cobalt batteries appears to be a major element of the British Volt-Siemens partnership who have engaged a construction partner to develop their factory and car batteries are not the only product expected to be produced in Blyth as on the horizon sits the change over from domestic gas appliances to household solar and cheaper night-time off peak grid, coupled with battery stored energy to assist air source heat pump technology to heat homes in the future but the partnership appears to have been locked in to batteries for the car trade as its regular profitable prime line for production.
So our questions are: will the British
Volt-Siemens partnership be able to secure a licence to produce the much
cheaper American invented batteries here in Blyth without the Uk Government
securing a trade deal with the USA which President Biden has put on the back
burner?
If not, will the Blyth plant simply become
the dumping ground for the recycling of the more dangerous lithium ion cobalt
batteries and old car lead acid batteries as fossil fuel vehicles are phased
out over the next 9 years through the Johnson edict?
As the North of Tyne region has experience
of Siemens pulling the plug on huge factory sites previously what guarantees
will be put in place by Government to ensure Blyth has a reasonable jobs future
in a plant that is envisaged to be heavily Government sponsored?
How will the much vaunted problems being
experienced but not yet reported on at ADVANCE Northumberland affect the
Council Taxpayer locally if things go wrong with this massive plant or will
losses have to be borne by the residents of the much larger North of Tyne
combined authority?
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