CEA

Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) is a French governmental research-and-technology organization with activities in energy, Information Technology, healthcare, defense and security. CEA-Tech, one of its divisions, focuses on creating value and innovation through technology transfer to its industrial partners. It employs 4500 scientists and engineers including 300 Ph.D. students and 300 assignees from partner companies. CEA-Tech owns more than 2200 patent families.

CEA has a Large Research Infrastructure battery R&D platform that focuses on lithium-ion battery development and small-run production, from materials synthesis through to integration. The goal is to develop end-to-end production systems for applications ranging from hearing aids to electric-powered buses, with the broader objectives of cutting costs, increasing battery life, and improving reliability. The platform boasts all of the know-how and heavy equipment required to develop, produce and characterize small runs of lithium-ion batteries. R&D at the platform starts with identifying and synthesizing materials to optimize battery performance, and encompasses manufacturing the various components (such as battery electrodes and electrolytes), assembling the battery packs, and integrating them into complete systems. Battery safety is assessed via a range of tests that include total destruction of the battery. Battery behaviour is investigated using high resolution multiscale characterization and modelling tools. The platform has around 20 pieces of heavy equipment, including coating and filling machines and a pre-industrial assembly line. The platform’s work focuses on lithium-ion batteries of all sizes, from tiny hearing-aid batteries weighing in at just a few grams to 300-kg electric-bus batteries. The platform’s size and scope make it unique in Europe. With a strong commitment to industrial R&D partnerships, the platform works with around 30 manufacturers, including Renault, Prayon, Umicore, and Solvay (on battery materials and systems).