A $2 million dollar investment by the provincial government will help charge a battery innovation centre at the University of BC鈥檚 Okanagan (UBCO) campus.

"The battery innovation centre is a monumental step forward for British Columbia's clean-energy transition, demonstrating the quality, leading-edge work emerging from the sector," said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.

The centre is the first of its kind in Western Canada and will focus on new technologies and growing the supply-chain sector and the Okanagan鈥檚 role as a battery and critical-mineral hub.

It will be involved in testing and scaling up next-generation battery technologies to offer increased energy density, higher safety, and lower-cost alternatives to lithium-ion batteries.

"Effective energy storage is a critical element of a low-carbon energy future and the work of our research team has already improved Canada's battery supply chain. ," said Lesley Cormack, principal, UBCO. 

The centre will support battery recycling and metal processing in the Kootenay region, battery manufacturing in the Lower Mainland, and mineral mining throughout B.C. 

鈥淯sing these technologies in our lives is a part of the energy transition,鈥� Osborne said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e lessening pollution, creating cleaner air, and creating new jobs.鈥�

The $2 million investment will go toward construction and equipment costs for a 2,000-square-foot pilot facility within the battery innovation centre. 

The battery innovation centre will be part of UBCO's Cleantech Hub, established with federal government funding in 2021, and will produce commercial cells for use in medical devices and other applications.