● Integrals Power has secured funding from the UK government DRIVE35 Scale-up Feasibility Studies competition to undertake Project CATMAN – a programme to assess commercial scale-up UK production of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) and manganese-rich Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP) cathode active materials
● The company’s LMFP material contains an 80% Manganese content to enable 20% higher energy density than conventional (LFP) while retaining its safety, long cycle life and cost advantages – and eliminates the reliance on cobalt and nickel required by competing Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) chemistries
● The CATMAN feasibility study will de-risk the scale-up pathway from Integrals Power’s existing 20 tonne/year UK pilot line to a 100 tonne/year demonstration facility, with engineering readiness for a 1,000 tonne/year capacity
● The DRIVE35 programme directly supports development of a resilient, sovereign UK and European supply chain for advanced cathode active materials at a time when Chinese export restrictions on battery materials and technology are increasing
Milton Keynes : UK battery technology company Integrals Power has been awarded funding under the UK government DRIVE35 Scale-up Feasibility Studies competition, facilitated by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC)
The funding will enable Integrals Power to undertake Project CATMAN: an assessment of scaling up UK production of its proprietary Lithium Iron Phosphate and advanced Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP) cathode active materials. This will validate and de-risk the manufacturing pathway from the current pilot line to a commercial-scale facility, with the aim of establishing the UK as a leading manufacturer of these strategically important materials. LFP and LMFP can be used in a wide range of applications, including electric vehicles, grid scale energy storage, marine, and defence, but almost all current production is based in China.
LMFP represents a significant advancement on conventional LFP, combining its inherent safety, relatively long cycle life, and cost-effectiveness with a 20% increase in energy density, achieved through an 80% manganese content. Unlike NMC, LMFP doesn’t use cobalt or nickel, reducing dependence on these expensive, critical raw materials, which improves sustainability, and reduces battery cost.
Integrals Power Founder and CEO, Behnam Hormozi, said: “Securing this funding from the APC is an important milestone for Integrals Power and for the UK’s battery supply chain. Project CATMAN will give us the detailed technical and commercial evidence we need to move confidently to the next stage of scale-up, and to unlock the investment required to build a 1,000 tonne per year facility in the UK.
“Our LMFP material has already proven itself in independent testing by QinetiQ – now we need to prove the manufacturing process at scale, and that is exactly what this programme will deliver. The UK has a genuine opportunity to establish manufacturing for these strategically important cell chemistries outside of China, and this funding is a critical step in enabling that to happen.”
The project will assess the feasibility of scaling Integrals Power’s operations from its current 20 tonne/year pilot line – already capable of producing both LFP and LMFP cathodes – to a 100 tonne/ year demonstration facility, with full engineering readiness for a 1,000 tonne/ year commercial line. The programme will also engage directly with automotive, marine, and defence customers to understand their requirements of LMFP in larger cell formats including pouch and cylindrical.
Integrals Power’s LMFP’s performance credentials are well proven. Independent and on-going cycle life testing conducted by QinetiQ has already exceeded 1,500 charge and discharge cycles at a 1C rate with nearly 80% capacity retention, while cold temperature testing by Cranfield University has demonstrated 85% retained capacity at -25ºC and 68% at -30ºC – significantly outperforming current LFP and LMFP benchmarks. With a target production cost that is significantly lower than NMC and competitive with China, LMFP offers an optimal cell chemistry for a range of sectors.
The strategic importance of establishing domestic manufacturing capability for advanced cathode active materials has grown considerably following China’s introduction last year of export restrictions on LFP and LMFP materials and manufacturing processes. With EU Battery passports coming into effect from 2027, and EU-UK rules of origin requirements for EV batteries tightening from 2027 – requiring 65% of cell value and 70% of battery pack value to originate in the UK or EU to avoid 10% tariffs – a localised supply chain is no longer simply a competitive advantage; it is fast-becoming a commercial and regulatory necessity. The DRIVE35 funding for Project CATMAN ensures that Integrals Power can play a pivotal role in meeting those needs.
