International demand for batteries is expected to increase from 185 GWh in 2020 to over 2,000 GWh by 2030, according to Statista.com. With demand on the rise in industry, from consumer electronics to electric vehicle manufacturing, the global lithium-ion battery market is projected to grow from USD 44.49 billion in 2021 to USD 193.13 billion by 2028.
“Our integrated teams across Sweden, United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada and India are currently involved in multiple projects – both Greenfields and Brownfields,” says Peter Hodgkinson, Director for Strategic Growth and Major Projects, WSP in Africa. “We are providing expertise from investment and strategic advisory services, site selection and due diligence, project delivery and management, integrated design approach, procurement advisory and support services, construction monitoring, commissioning management of battery manufacturing facilities, utilities and supporting infrastructure.”
“For battery plants to be viable, certain conditions must be in place,” says Hodgkinson. “Government incentives and tax relief, access to sufficient clean energy, and proximity to end-user demand are key. The current projects WSP is working on are located in Europe, the Middle East and the US, where these conditions are well met.”
The plants themselves are technically complex, requiring deep knowledge in the new generation of gigafactories, as well as specialist expertise in clean and dry room design and implementation. “WSP is recognised as a major player in the design and delivery of gigafactories, and particularly in clean and dry rooms,” says Diederik Venter, Associate Engineer and Clean and Dry Room Specialist, WSP Africa. “Our expertise has been honed across multiple industries, such as pharmaceuticals, where this kind of facility is critical to the manufacturer’s success. Applying this subject matter expertise to ensure ultra clean, dust and contaminant free, pressurised and temperature- and humidity-controlled environments is critical to the battery manufacturing process.”
