Energy Storage

A new type of energy storage system could revolutionise energy storage and drop the charging time of electric cars from hours to seconds.

Enerol Nanotechnologies is a Chinese company working on flexible batteries and related products. It has two subsidiaries "BattFlex" specialising in flexible lithium-ion battery research & development and selling, as well as "ATMK Super EnerG Technologies" focusing on the electrode making.

IDTechEx will be hosting a free webinar on Thursday 23 August titled New Supercapacitor Materials Enable Huge New Markets.

Ionic Materials (IM) is a US-based start-up developing a solid polymer electrolyte for Li-ion batteries. Founded in 2011 by Mike Zimmerman, serial entrepreneur and professor at Tufts University, in 2018 the company raised $65M in a Series C funding round that included Hyundai, Renault-Nissan, A123 Systems, Total, and Hitachi Chemical, among other investors.

Buildings, bridges, street lamps and even curb-stones could be turned into cheap batteries with the discovery of new cement mixtures. Researchers have created a new smart cement mixture that is able to store electrical energy and can monitor its own structural health.

Dearman is a UK based technology start-up that has developed the Dearman Engine; a piston engine that runs on liquid nitrogen fuel. Started in 2013 by inventor Peter Dearman, the company is now well underway with commercial trials for the engine in transport refrigeration, with diesel genset replacement applications planned over the next 2-5 years. IDTechEx spoke with Dearman's Business Development Manager and Commercial Analyst to learn more about the technology and the company's future plans.

This technology will pave the way for bulk hydrogen to be transported in the form of ammonia, using existing infrastructure, and then reconverted back to hydrogen at the point of use. It has the potential to fill the gap in the technology chain to supply fuel cell vehicles around the world with low-emissions hydrogen sourced from Australia.

The lead acid battery industry repeats a mantra that almost all of them are recycled and they are by far the lowest cost solution for cars and much else besides. Many forces now question and begin to change this.

Professor's idea to adapt 20th century mining technology to recycle lithium ion batteries, from the small ones in cell phones to the multi-kilowatt models that power electric cars, the same technologies used to separate metal from ore could be applied to spent batteries.

The common goals are clear: certifiable standards, safe origins and transparency in the procurement of high-risk raw materials and a tangible improvement in the working and living conditions of people locally. By joining, Daimler AG is expanding its broad commitment to initiatives and is actively promoting greater transparency in global raw material supply chains.

Sharp Electronics Corporation's Energy Systems and Services Group announced today that its behind-the-meter SmartStorage energy storage solution was selected to be installed at ILM Tool's 25,000-square-foot machine shop to help offset its growing peak demand usage.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with Envision Group for the sale of Nissan's electric battery operations and production facilities to Envision.

Sodium-ion batteries have potential to replace the currently used lithium-ion batteries by using the cheaper (less than a thirtieth of the cost of lithium) and more abundant sodium resource. This has particular potential in Saudi Arabia, where sodium is readily available and easily extracted as a byproduct of water desalination, a significant source of potable water in the country.

Cleantech Hub reports that a mere 13% of lead acid batteries are recycled in Nigeria. Yet there is a mini-grid revolution about to take off in Nigeria, such as the World Bank and the Rural Electrification Agency $350 million project as well as other investments into the sector, driving more batteries.

Connected Energy uses second-life electric vehicle batteries to build commercial & industrial as well as grid-level energy storage systems. IDTechEx Technology Analyst Dr Na Jiao and Mr Franco Gonzalez visited their Technical Centre and interviewed the CEO of Connected Energy.

Nidec Industrial Solutions has, for the fifth consecutive year, confirmed its standing as the world's leading supplier in the energy storage market.

The University of Adelaide's newest Ramsay Fellow, Dr James Quach, will harness the unique properties of quantum mechanics with the aim of building the world's first quantum battery, a new super battery with the potential for instantaneous charging.

A new combination of materials may aid in developing a rechargeable battery able to store the large amounts of renewable power created through wind or solar sources. With further development, the new technology could deliver energy to the electric grid quickly, cost effectively and at normal ambient temperatures.

Chinese scientists have developed flexible micro-batteries with high energy density and steady performance under extraordinary high-temperature.

Batteries from Blue Spark Technologies are being used in sensor based and battery assisted passive (BAP) RFID labels, in addition to powered cosmetic patches. Recent innovations include a new printed zinc anode.