Energy Storage

The intermittent supply of green electricity requires large-scale storage to keep our power grids stable. Since normal batteries do not scale very well, the idea of using flow batteries, which store electricity in a fluid is attractive. However, these batteries contain rare metals and are expensive. Scientists have designed a flow battery electrolyte that may solve both problems.

Suzuki Motor Corporation is to investapproximately 150 billion yen (approximately 104.4 billion rupees) for local manufacturing of electric vehicles and battery electric vehicle batteries.

With cities around the world looking to transition their bus fleets to zero emission technologies, this article looks at the role of fuel cell buses. Battery electric buses are already being widely adopted and are demonstrating their ability to deliver cost effective operations, meeting the performance requirements of short city bus routes. However, hydrogen fuel cells buses are seeing increasing interest as a way to deliver more arduous bus schedules.

The revolutionary promise of nanocarbons has been touted for more than 3 decades, but despite the extraordinary properties and commercial hype, the success has been limited - until now. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) may not be as glamorous as their younger sibling graphene, but IDTechEx forecast the annual demand to exceed 70 ktpa by 2032 as for the first time the manufacturers experience a mass-market pull rather than a material push.

Circulor announces a comprehensive partnership with Rock Tech Lithium and Fraunhofer UMSICHT to ensure the production of German-made lithium hydroxide with the lowest possible environmental impact.

Envision AESC announces a new partnership with Mercedes-Benz as the luxury automotive brand gets ready to go all electric. Under the new agreement, Envision AESC will supply high-performance battery cell modules to support end to end production of all-electric Mercedes-EQ vehicles in Alabama.

Fluence announced that the Spanish renewable energy company Gransolar Group's battery division, E22, has signed an agreement with Fluence to deploy the Fluence IQ Bidding Application at its first battery-based energy storage project in Australia - a 5 MW / 7.5 MWh system in Victoria.

SEA Electric continues the push into the zero-emissions school bus space with the piloting of a Blue Bird Type C school bus powered by a SEA-Drive® 120b power-system.

This premium article investigates the instability challenges facing the commercialization of perovskite PV. It provides an overview of how degradation occurs, including both environmental factors and intrinsic material traits. This article also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of stabilising the perovskite film through material engineering and the various external encapsulation methods that are being explored.

Minesto has decided to concentrate this year's operations with its Dragon Class marine energy converters at the established and grid-connected site in Vestmannasund, Faroe Islands. This plan will mitigate supply chain delays and at the same time allow Minesto to take advantage of significant synergies and new opportunities for more cost-effective operations, electricity production under an existing Power Purchase Agreement, and hence a quicker route to commercial roll out.

Announcements of developments to alternative, next-generation, non-lithium battery chemistries, including redox flow, metal-air, or sodium-ion batteries, are now a regular occurrence. Despite interest in these alternatives, Li-ion batteries remain the dominant choice for consumer devices, electric vehicles, and stationary storage. However, the importance of non-lithium battery chemistries is expected to grow considerably over the next 10 years, especially in the stationary energy storage sector. By 2025, IDTechEx forecast that >10% of the stationary market will be accounted for by non-lithium chemistries, up from <5% in 2021.

The Daintree Renewable Microgrid proposes to deliver a renewable energy microgrid for the Daintree community in two stages to improve the affordability, reliability and security of energy supply to the community.

It is right that the European Union, the US Government and others should assess, caution and plan about critical materials supplies. A new EU assessment is shown on the next slide.

Thursday 24 March 2022 - Green Construction: Growing Demand for Electric Construction Machines. Electric construction vehicles a $105 billion market in 2042. Find out more in this webinar presented by IDTechEx Technology Analyst, Dr David Wyatt

This premium article delves into the Future Propulsion Conference 2022, which ran from 2nd-3rd March 2022. It will focus on some of the electric motors and power electronics representatives from the event, including BMW, Continental, Dynex, ePropelled, McLaren Applied, and many others.

6K and Our Next Energy Inc announced a partnership as ONE looks to scale up and commercialize its Gemini cell chemistry. The organization signed a letter of intent outlining how the companies will work together to significantly lower the cost and manufacturing capital required when producing this new battery material.

The Dutch power grid is almost full. The red areas indicate where grid operators can no longer connect large green power generators, such as new wind and solar farms, to the electricity grid due to overloads.

Carbon Nanotubes 2022-2032 - Market, Technology, Players - MWCNTs, FWCNTs & SWCNTs benchmarking study and critical appraisal; VACNTs, sheets, yarns, composites, slurries, and more; granular CNT market forecasts; key manufacturer profiles and analysis; interview-based company profiles

It is often said that governments should not try to predict technology winners. However, they have no choice because the technologies with the most significant potential for national prosperity and even security cannot get off the ground without government support in many forms from investment to tax breaks, support from government research institutions and major purchases of products resulting.

The US Department of Energy's paper, "Grid Operational Impacts of Widespread Storage Deployment" analyzes requirements to 2050. It variously calculates 1.3 TWh required to just over 6.0 TWh in its 94% renewable electricity, Zero Carbon scenario. Earlier, other researchers calculated 80% wind and solar will require 5.4 TWh of energy storage so it is obvious that huge amounts of storage are needed. Even that is with massive over-production and therefore curtailment - electricity only being generated 10% to 20% of the time on average. Polluting peaker plants only have 11% capacity factor so, on that model, bad replaces bad in that respect.