One of the most groundbreaking advancements is in energy storage technologies. The world’s largest sand battery, with a capacity of 100 MWh, is set to be deployed in Finland, capable of storing excess solar or wind energy and reducing district heating emissions by 70%. This technology can maintain heat at 500°C for months, providing a sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuels. Enhancements in geothermal technology have also seen costs fall by 50%, potentially offering 24/7 clean power worldwide. Finnish startup Polar Night Energy is developing world’s largest sand battery and redefining the sand as next lithium.
Energy storage technology is undergoing significant advancements, focusing on scalability, efficiency, and safety. There’s been a surge in battery storage deployments globally, with the U.S. seeing record growth in the third quarter of 2024. This growth is driven by the need for grid reliability and the integration of renewable energy sources. Tesla has been particularly active, deploying a record-breaking 9.4 GWh of battery storage in Q2 2024, more than doubling the previous quarter’s figures. Their Powerwall and Megapack systems are central to this expansion, with over 100,000 Powerwalls enrolled in Virtual Power Plant programs, showcasing the potential for residential and utility-scale storage solutions.
Zinc-based batteries are emerging as a cheaper and safer alternative to lithium-ion, with significant research from Case Western Reserve University highlighting their potential for cost-effective and sustainable energy storage. A breakthrough in lithium-ion battery technology claims a record range with over 20,000 cycles while retaining 80% capacity, potentially revolutionizing electric vehicle (EV) and stationary storage applications. This milestone has been achieved by Dalhousie University researchers
In California, a new $300 million Tesla Megapack system, coupled with one of the largest solar installations in the U.S., started operations, underscoring the trend towards combining solar with storage for enhanced energy management. In Europe, there’s a rapid depletion of gas storage, highlighting the importance of alternative storage solutions like batteries to handle peak demand and ensure energy security.
MIT is advancing energy storage through new materials like rock salt-polyanion cathodes for high-energy storage and through spinouts like 247Solar, which is focusing on high-temperature concentrated solar power systems with thermal energy storage.
In India, new policies are pushing for mandatory battery storage capacity for solar and wind projects, potentially boosting the market for battery storage solutions. This could benefit companies like Tata Power, JSW Energy, Reliance, and Amar Raja Batteries.
The European Union has been actively advancing its policies and initiatives concerning batteries to promote sustainability, safety, and strategic autonomy in the battery sector. The EU adopted Regulation on batteries and waste batteries. Regulations are designed to reduce the environmental footprint of batteries throughout their lifecycle from sourcing to recycling. It mandates sustainability criteria, including carbon footprint declarations, recycled content requirements, and enhanced end-of-life management practices.
The new regulation aligns with the European Green Deal’s circular economy goals, ensuring batteries are designed for longevity, recyclability, and reuse. It sets ambitious targets for waste battery collection, recycling efficiency, and material recovery, particularly for critical materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper. A significant aspect of the regulation is the introduction of a battery passport for industrial and electric vehicle batteries over 2kWh. This digital record system will provide transparency on the battery’s environmental impact, material composition, and carbon footprint via a QR code, aiming to enhance traceability and compliance. Battery manufacturers must comply with due diligence obligations to address social and environmental risks related to raw material sourcing, processing, and trading. This reflects a broader push towards ethical sourcing and production.
The EU is keen on reducing dependency on foreign battery supply chains, particularly from China, by fostering a domestic battery industry.
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have explored the use of sand to create lithium-ion battery anodes. They’ve managed to purify sand to produce nano-silicon, which when used in batteries, reportedly triples the performance of standard lithium-ion batteries. This approach uses sand’s primary component, silicon dioxide, to create silicon, which is known to have higher energy storage potential than graphite, the traditional anode material in lithium-ion batteries. This is in line with the initiatives of Polar Night Energy, developing Sand battery in Finland. Unlike lithium, which involves mining with significant environmental and ethical issues, sand is abundant and its use in batteries or thermal storage could reduce the ecological footprint associated with battery production. In future Sand can play role of Lethium and may provide solutions for global energy storage.
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