UK battery materials firm Integrals Power will supply hundreds of kilos of manganese-rich lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) cathode material for a £2 million, 30 month UK government-funded programme led by Denchi Group through the Battery Innovation Programme. The material, produced at Integrals Power's multi-tonne facility in Milton Keynes, will be used in pouch and cylindrical cells (21700 and 4695 formats) manufactured at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre in Coventry, then assembled into battery packs at Denchi's Thurso plant for defence and electric vehicle applications. Integrals Power's LMFP has 80% manganese content and delivers up to 20% greater energy density than conventional lithium iron phosphate (LFP) while eliminating reliance on cobalt and nickel.
Why it matters: The project demonstrates UK public investment in domestic battery supply chains and alternative chemistries that reduce dependence on critical minerals, with potential cost and sourcing advantages for EV battery procurement. Higher energy density LMFP could offer fleet operators and charge point operators improved vehicle range without the material cost volatility of nickel and cobalt based cells.