UK supply chain challenges for battery energy storage systems

With the goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050, the UK set very ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emission by 68% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. It is also the only major economy to have set a target of 78% for 2035 (gov.uk, 2023). In this race, the demand for batteries is growing exponentially with a high prioritisation for transport applications, as the Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing industry is racing to align with the government plans. However, there is also a battery need for non-EV applications such as Battery energy Storage Systems (BESS) that cannot be neglected. Typically used for levelling supply and demand from intermittent renewable energy sources and microgrids in remote regions, BESS play a critical role for the transition to net zero. There is nevertheless little information regarding BESS supply chains in the UK in the available literature despite the significant growth of its market in
the foreseeable future.