Next-generation battery project launches to advance Europe’s green mobility 

New EU Horizon Europe project ANGeLiC unites 13 partners across 10 countries to develop next-generation Lithium-Sulphur batteries for heavy-duty vehicles

Brussels, Belgium – June 26, 2025. A new European research project, ANGeLiC (ALD-protected Next Generation Lithium-Sulphur Battery Cell), has officially launched, funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme. The ambitious 42-month project brings together 13 leading partners from 10 countries to enhance battery technology and enable Europe’s transition to carbon-neutral mobility.

ANGeLiC addresses one of the most pressing challenges in the fight against climate change: developing safer, more efficient, and sustainable battery technology for heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses, which currently account for 28% of transport-related CO₂ emissions despite representing only 2% of vehicles on European roads. The project is coordinated by Estonian NGO CIVITTA Foundation, part of the CIVITTA Group innovation consultancy.

No single organisation can develop breakthrough battery technology alone. That’s why we’ve assembled this exceptional European consortium, which I’m delighted to coordinate,” says Marta Putrinš, ANGeLiC project coordinator at CIVITTA.  “ANGeLiC will unlock Lithium-Sulphur battery potential for electric mobility. By replacing expensive, supply-chain-vulnerable materials like cobalt and nickel with abundant sulphur, we’re building Europe’s strategic independence in clean energy technology.”

ANGeLiC brings together a strong and diverse group of partners from across Europe and focuses on developing and demonstrating next-generation battery technologies over a three-and-a-half-year period. Besides CIVITTA, the team includes leading research institutes (Centre for Advanced Materials Application from Slovakia; Warsaw University of Technology from Poland; Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems from Germany; J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry from Czech Republic; and The National Centre for Scientific Research with affiliated partners Université Savoie Mont Blanc and Grenoble INP from France), world-class universities (Imperial College London and University College London from the United Kingdom; The Basque Center for Macromolecular Design and Engineering from Spain; and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology), and industry leader Avesta Battery and Energy Engineering from Belgium specialising in battery manufacturing and commercialisation. The project’s communication, dissemination, and exploitation activities are led by CIVITTA. 

The ANGeLiC project will develop versatile advanced battery technologies, all involving cutting-edge materials science and manufacturing innovation. This includes pioneering atomic layer deposition (ALD) and molecular layer deposition (MLD) techniques to protect battery components, developing revolutionary sensor technologies for real-time battery monitoring, and creating sustainable polymer electrolytes. The consortium will also demonstrate roll-to-roll manufacturing processes for lithium anodes and advanced characterisation methods to optimise battery performance and safety.

“Understanding how battery materials evolve over time is key to building better energy storage. Through the ANGeLiC project, we are pioneering advanced techniques to ‘see inside’ working lithium-sulphur batteries, helping us design more stable, higher-capacity, and sustainable next-generation systems,” says Thomas Miller, project partner from University College London. 

The developed batteries have high-performance targets. These include 500 Wh/kg energy density, significantly higher than current Li-ion technology, and enhanced safety with reduced fire and explosion risks. The batteries will deliver 800+ charge cycles for extended battery life and achieve cost reduction to under €75 per kWh, making electric heavy-duty vehicles economically competitive. Full recyclability will support circular economy principles.

These innovations will improve the EU’s strategic independence in battery technology and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport. The project will create new business opportunities whilst directly supporting EU climate law requirements for 90% CO₂ emission reductions in heavy-duty vehicles by 2040, promoting sustainable mobility and enhancing the attractiveness of electric transport solutions for businesses and citizens alike.

Disclaimer: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101202842. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.