Government invests in batteries and electrification – LTH has a key role
A special government investment is now being made in research and education in electrification and battery technology. This means that Lund University and the Faculty of Engineering, Uppsala University and Chalmers University of Technology will be allocated SEK 270 million over the years 2024-2029. The strategic initiative is part of the universities' cooperation within Compel and will be based in the profile area for energy transition.
Jessika Sellergren – Published 1 May 2024
Through the government's initiative, LTH will receive an increased research grant of SEK 90 million – funds that will strengthen LTH's research in electrification and battery technology.
The faculty has identified three areas to be developed:
- Materials research relevant to battery technology and power electronics
- Integration of batteries with power electronics in the power grid and in vehicles
- Safety of energy storage in batteries and hydrogen gas
At LTH, the government's initiative on electrification and battery technology and Compel is coordinated by Elna Heimdal Nilsson, senior lecturer in combustion physics at the Department of Physics. The assignment runs from March 1, 2024 to December 31, 2029. Within the faculty, Compel is part of LTH's profile area Energy Transition.
"This initiative gives research groups across LTH a unique opportunity to strengthen their activities related to batteries. At the same time, we get a community around the research where we together set the agenda for development," says Elna Heimdal Nilsson.
During the fall of 2023, a working group has developed a proposal for how the government's initiative funds should be distributed and used for research development at LTH. The working group's proposal was approved by the faculty at the end of March and means that the strategic development work will be done by increasing the number of doctoral and postdoctoral positions, as well as through funds for infrastructure development.
Olof Samuelsson, coordinator of LTH's profile area Energy Transition, has held together the working group together with representatives from the profile area and the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Energy Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Control Engineering and Technology and Society.
Annika Olsson, Dean of LTH, welcomes the government's initiative. She says:
"The government's targeted funding gives us greater opportunities to contribute to the green transition in Swedish industry and to develop in line with the faculty's strategy and profiling. Through the investment, we can also deepen our collaborations with other universities that also have leading research in the battery area – such as Uppsala University and Chalmers University of Technology."
About Compel
Compel (COMPetence for the ELectrification of the transport system) is a strategic initiative from the Swedish government, with the aim of strengthening research and education environments in battery technology and electrification. Within COMPETENCE, the three universities Chalmers University of Technology, Lund University and Uppsala University, in consultation with key players in Swedish industry, are deepening their collaboration with the aim of strengthening Sweden's position in batteries and the electrification of the transport sector and related areas. The initiative aims to strengthen research and education efforts related to the battery area with the goal of ensuring that relevant research in battery technology for the electrification of the transport sector is maintained and further developed in Sweden.
At Lund University via LTH, Compel is a strategic initiative that aims to strengthen research environments in battery technology and electrification, in a way that complements relevant research at other universities and builds on our strengths. Compel at Lund University initially includes researchers at ten departments and three research areas have been identified for strategic development: materials research, integration of batteries with power electronics and safe energy storage.