Research Articles

Short-duration battery technologies such as Li-ion and valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries are typically used in data centers as part of uninterruptible power supply systems (UPS). Data center operators also sign power purchase agreements (PPAs) to secure long-term, stable renewable energy at fixed prices, shielding them from price volatility. However, key shifts in both the energy storage technologies adopted and the long-term methods for power procurement for data centers may evolve over time. This article from IDTechEx covers shifts in the technologies adopted and business strategies data center operators may embrace over the coming years.

Batteries are used in data centers as part of uninterruptible power supply systems (UPS) to prevent data loss and to cover critical loads. However, as AI data centers become more prevalent, as does the need to manage the volatility in their power loads. This article from IDTechEx examines emerging battery technology trends for data centers.

Grid-scale energy storage (ES) markets are dominated by pumped hydro storage (PHS) and Li-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS). The reducing costs of Li-ion technologies continues to create challenges for other energy and battery storage technologies, such as redox flow batteries (RFBs) to penetrate short-duration grid-scale markets. However, the different demands of emerging applications such as data centers and long duration energy storage could be key for RFB developers to target. This article from IDTechEx examines the future strategies and considerations for flow battery developers and emerging applications.

IDTechEx analyst Conrad Nichols discusses the role of batteries in data centers.

The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) technology is the most commercially deployed flow battery chemistry. However, high electrolyte costs have inhibited the wider market penetration of the technology, especially since Li-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) costs continue to fall. Vanadium electrolyte leasing models may help to reduce upfront cost to some degree, though the commercialization of cheaper, alternative flow battery chemistries will also drive global flow battery market growth. This article examines the current state of VRFBs and the evolving commercialization of alternative redox flow battery (RFB) technologies.

Global battery energy storage system (BESS) deployments continue to be deployed at a rapid pace, with surging deployments seen especially in grid-scale markets. Giant Li-ion BESS players dominate this market leaving untapped opportunities for smaller players to exploit in commercial and industrial (C&I) sectors, behind-the-meter (BTM). However, operating in this underappreciated market can be complex, given the vast end-use applications and changing regional drivers. This article highlights the emerging demand for C&I BESS technologies.

BESS developers are adopting various passive and active thermal management materials and technologies to improve the safety of their Li-ion BESS technologies. By understanding the root causes and impacts of BESS failure, battery storage players and regulators can target Li-ion BESS technology development with a greater targeted purpose, putting an emphasis on safety to reduce fire and explosion risk. A key pathway to address Li-ion BESS failures could also be with large-scale fire testing (LSFT).

IDTechEx analyst Conrad Nichols summarises the latest progress of Redox Flow batteries.

With the growing scrutiny of Li-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) safety, demand for passive materials and active technologies is set to grow. BESS developers are all adopting different strategies to ensure that their systems can strike the right balance of safety against overall system cost.

The redox flow battery market has seen significant growth in the past two years, led predominantly by key player Rongke Power. However, several opportunities are also being grasped by other players, be this in the emerging applications for RFBs, commercialization of cheaper RFB technologies, and new programs to incentivize RFBs and LDES.

Ascend Elements, a major US-based Li-ion battery recycler and refiner, has announced a multi-year offtake agreement for lithium carbonate with Trafigura, a major global commodities supplier. This signals a significant development in lithium material supply chains - IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst Conrad Nichols spoke exclusively to Ascend Elements CEO Linh Austin.

Thermal runaway in lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries has become one of the most pressing challenges for the global battery energy storage system (BESS) industry.

The Li-ion battery recycling market is expanding rapidly through partnerships, funding, and new large-scale facilities using established recycling technologies to recover valuable materials. IDTechEx forecasts that the Li-ion battery recycling market will be valued at US$52B in 2045, but continued innovation and advancements in direct LIB recycling and battery-grade graphite recycling technologies will be crucial to realize this full value.

By 2035, the second-life electric vehicle (EV) battery market is projected to reach a value of US$4.2 billion, according to IDTechEx. But what's driving this growth, and what hurdles still lie ahead? IDTechEx explains in this video.

Li-ion battery (LIB) recyclers have continued to gather large volumes of new funding, form new strategic partnerships, and commission large-scale facilities over the last few years. This article explores how tariffs and policy changes may affect the US market and analyzes the likelihood of EU LIB recyclers and automotive OEMs reaching minimum recycled contents targets as mandated by the EU Battery Regulation.

IDTechEx forecasts the Li-ion battery recycling market to grow to US$52B in value by 2045, given the increasing availability of retired Li-ion batteries over the coming decades. Key sources of feedstock will include electric vehicle batteries, and Li-ion batteries from energy storage systems, consumer electronics, alongside manufacturing scrap.

Key trends are emerging that suggest where the second-life battery market will develop and what applications these technologies will be used for. As written in their recently updated market report, "Second-life Electric Vehicle Batteries 2025-2035: Markets, Forecasts, Players, and Technologies", IDTechEx predicts that by 2035, the global second-life EV battery market will be valued at US$4.2 billion.

Repurposing EV batteries extends their lifespan, maximizes value, and delays recycling. In this short overview, IDTechEx explores the growing second-life battery market, key opportunities, and industry trends.

The growing availability of retired EV batteries will be a critical factor that will influence the growing penetration of second-life battery storage technologies. However, key considerations related to EV battery chemistry and repurposing processes will dictate how techno-economically feasible it will be to develop and deploy these technologies at commercial-scale and how competitive they will be compared to incumbent first-life Li-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS).

IDTechEx forecasts the second-life EV battery market to grow to US$4.2B in value by 2035, given the increasing availability of retired EV batteries over the coming decade. Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles may be used for 6-15 years, depending on the application and their degradation over time. Once these batteries reach a capacity, or State-of-Health (SOH), that is too low to facilitate the driving range requirements of the EV, these are retired. These batteries could be recycled to reclaim critical and valuable raw materials, which could be reintroduced into new EV battery manufacturing.

As a reliable and well-performing technology for battery energy storage systems (BESS), its demand in the global ES market has continued to grow at an impressive pace. This is expected to continue, and as found in their new market report, "Batteries for Stationary Energy Storage 2025-2035", IDTechEx estimates that the global Li-ion BESS market will be valued at US$109B in 2035.

Li-ion batteries remain the dominant electrochemical energy storage technology in the global market. Other battery storage technologies, such as redox flow batteries, Na-ion batteries, and metal-air batteries, have continued to remain as emerging technologies with a limited volume of deployments in the last few years.

Demand for battery energy storage systems will continue to increase over the coming decade across key countries as the volume of renewable energy sources penetrating electricity grids continues to increase. Governments have continued to announce incentives and schemes to promote the growth of BESS, as well as announce and increase targets for both RES and battery and energy storage.

As the penetration of variable renewable energy increases in key countries, so will the need to manage the increasing uncertainty and variability in electricity supply.

Industries have traditionally used fossil fuels to produce heat for their processes or to fuel power plants to generate electricity, including the use of natural gas, oil, and coal. Industrial heating processes are responsible for ~25% of global emissions, and therefore, great attention from governments and states is being seen to decarbonize this area of industry.

Heating and cooling accounts for approximately 50% of global energy consumption, with 30% of this consumption represented by heating demand from industry. Given that the great majority of industrial heating processes use fossil fuels to generate heat, this has caused industrial heating processes to be responsible for ~25% of global emissions.

As the volume of variable renewable energy (VRE) sources penetrating electricity grids increases globally, so does the need to manage the increasing uncertainty and variability in electricity supply. Long duration energy storage (LDES) technologies will be key in supporting electricity grids with greater penetrations of VRE over the coming decades. However, while many of the LDES technologies are likely to be cheaper than Li-ion batteries, on a US$/kWh basis at longer durations of storage, they will need to generate revenues from multiple sources in order to be profitable.

The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) has prevailed as the most widely deployed and commercialized RFB chemistry over the last decade; despite this, the volume of their installations for stationary energy storage applications is still minimal compared to the incumbent Li-ion battery, but is this set to change?

With ~90% of industrial heating processes using fossil fuels, this has led to approximately 25% of global energy pollution coming from heat produced for industrial processes. As such, demand for technologies to decarbonize industrial heating is expected to increase. One such technology that is able to store and supply heat to industrial processes is thermal energy storage (TES). TES for industrial applications currently only forms a minor percentage of global TES capacity, given that TES systems have been widely deployed in applications such as pairing with concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, district heating, cold chain, and space heating for buildings.

As the volume of variable renewable energy (VRE) sources penetrating electricity grids increases globally, so does the need to manage the increasing uncertainty and variability in electricity supply. Long duration energy storage (LDES) technologies will be needed in key regions from the 2030s to support electricity grids with greater penetrations of VRE.

As the volume of variable renewable energy (VRE) sources penetrating electricity grids increases globally, so does the need to manage the increasing uncertainty and variability in electricity supply.

Demand for Li-ion batteries continues to grow in sectors such as electric vehicles, stationary energy storage, and consumer electronics. From its market report, "Li-ion Battery Recycling Market 2023-2043", IDTechEx estimates that in 2023, total demand for Li-ion batteries was 750+ GWh across these sectors, which will increase to almost 10 TWh in 2043.

Variable renewable energy (VRE) penetration is expected to continue increasing across the globe, and with this will come increasing variability and uncertainty in energy and electricity supply. Energy storage systems will be needed to dispatch energy over longer timeframes when energy from VRE sources is not available.

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are used ubiquitously in daily life, and the demand for Li-ion batteries has continued to increase over the last decade, including in consumer electronics and portable devices, electric vehicles (EVs), and stationary energy storage systems.

Redox flow battery (RFB) installations are expected to increase over the next decade as demand for stationary energy storage technologies is expected to increase. This is due to potential Li-ion material supply shortages coming toward the end of the decade and increasing variable renewable energy (VRE) sources penetrating electricity grids, creating greater variability and uncertainty in energy supply.

Over the last decade, redox flow battery (RFB) deployments have been sporadic and few compared to ever-growing Li-ion battery deployments for stationary energy storage applications. However, as the penetration of variable renewable energy (VRE) sources into electricity grids increases globally, so will the need to manage more uncertain and variable electricity supply.