Province funds battery research centre at University of B.C.

B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, Josie Osborne, speaks during a news conference in Burnaby, B.C., on June 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus is set to receive a $2 million investment by the province to start a battery innovation centre.

The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation says in a statement that work at the centre will "focus on research and development of new battery technologies."

Minister Josie Osborne says as reliance on battery-powered devices by people and industry grows, the project will create jobs and bolster the Okanagan's "role as a battery and critical-mineral hub."

The ministry says the centre is the first of its kind in Western Canada and will serve as a hub for testing and scaling up battery technologies that are potentially more efficient, safer and cheaper than lithium-ion batteries.

The centre will be part of the university's Cleantech Hub, which was set up with federal government funding in 2021 to support academic-industry collaborations.

The province says the funding will go toward construction and equipment costs for a facility within the centre that will make "pouch cells" for use in medical devices and other applications.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2024.