Learn more about the latest in new battery technology and discover the next generation in battery and energy storage with expert analysis by Power Systems Research analysts.
China plans to introduce restrictions on antimony exports, a move that could lead to another flashpoint with the West over control of critical minerals. Antimony is used in lead-acid batteries, as well as in solar panels and flame retardant applications. The US Department of the Interior has designated it a critical mineral. It also is essential for armor-piercing ammunition, infrared sensors and precision optics.
Analysts estimate the market was already facing a 10,000-ton shortfall before China’s restrictions. The US is critically dependent on China for antimony. It consumed 22,000 tons of antimony products in 2023. Domestic production amounted to just 4,000 tons. This mostly came from antimonial lead recovered from used lead-acid batteries
PSR Analysis: There are a lot of minerals that are now being brought into sharp focus as the US looks at its critical minerals and finds that it is more reliant on other nations than previously thought. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
A spinoff from CalTech called Sienza Energy has come up with a new silicon EV battery that does away with cobalt. The secret is a nanoscale structure that resembles a plastic badminton birdie but delivers the triple threat of cost, performance, and safety
Conventional lithium-ion batteries deploy millions of micron-sized particles in their electrodes. In contrast, the Sienza EV battery boots the scale into nano-territory with billions of structures, resulting in a surface area 100 times that of conventional batteries. In addition to more efficient heat dissipation, the expanded surface area is a key factor in the improved performance of the new batter
PSR Analysis: As a mineral, cobalt has some dark undertones with much concern being raised about the use of child labor in its mining, and since its cost is high, any move away from cobalt is appreciated. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) have developed a super-ionic material based on potassium silicate, a compound extracted from ordinary rocks. This innovation could potentially revolutionize the way we power electric cars.
Potassium silicate, the key material in this new battery technology, is abundantly available in the earth’s crust. Potassium silicate is also resilient to air and moisture, allowing it to be easily integrated into batteries as a thin layer without the need for expensive protective measures.
PSR Analysis: We continue to see many new innovations in battery technology which show a lot of promise. This one has the potential to be safer and cheaper, but we are far from commercialization so this innovation is a long way off. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
Zeekr, an electric vehicle (EV) maker within the Geely Auto group, has integrated its self-developed fast-charging battery technology, based on lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry, into its latest vehicles
According to the company, the 75 kWh battery pack supports ‘5.5C ultra-fast charging,’ enabling vehicles to charge from 10% to 80% in just 10.5 minutes using 800V charging at Zeekr’s proprietary stations.
PSR Analysis: Until this, all Lithium -ion batteries using NMC cathodes were faster than LFP batteries. This reverses that and means that this ultra fast charging together with safer LFP chemistry could eventually replace standard NMC battery chemistries
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
Read about Greely adding fast-charging batteries to its EV autos; Volvo backtracking on its EV pledge; Volkswagen considering factory shutdowns in Germany, and a new battery made from stone, all this and more in the September 2024 issue of the Alternative Power Report published by Power Systems Research. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast and Technology Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
A research team at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has developed a new generation of lithium metal batteries, with the innovation centering on microcrack-free polymer electrolytes, which promise extended lifespan and enhanced safety at temperatures as high as 100 degrees Celsius
The microcrack-free polymer electrolytes are synthesized via a straightforward one-step click reaction, exhibiting notable attributes including “a remarkable resistance to dendrite growth and outstanding non-flammability,” the researchers reported
Dendrite growth is a tree-like structure of crystals that grows on metal cathode and has large consequences regarding material properties as it causes the loss of active lithium inside batteries, which leads to capacity loss.
PSR Analysis: Dendrite growth has been a key component of the duration of battery life (in terms of the number of cycles and battery degradation), so any move in this area holds great promise. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead for Power Systems Research
Many people are talking about lithium iron phosphate batteries, especially auto industry stakeholders who are eager to get their hands on a higher-performing, lower-costing and safer battery. If the supply chain doesn’t get its act together soon, this may be problematic.
81% of the global supply of phosphate rock is produced by just six countries, with China and Morocco in the lead, but the real problem is further up the supply chain. Regardless of the source, an LFP battery can’t use phosphate rock straight from the mine. It has to be purified with only 3% of total phosphate production currently suitable for lithium ion battery applications, given its refinement needs.
PSR Analysis: Gathering phosphates from wastewater sludge could be a solution, but as with most new tech, investment is needed. A side effect of this could be improved water quality. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead for Power Systems Research
Indonesia is trying to reduce Chinese investment in new nickel mining and smelting operations in order to qualify for U.S. tax incentives. Under the Biden administration’s Inflation-Reduction Act (IRA), large tax incentives will apply after 2025. However, it does not apply to batteries sourced from “foreign entities of concern,” such as companies in which Chinese capital holds more than 25% of the shares, or to EVs that use nickel or other key minerals. Indonesia’s nickel industry will be hit hard by these conditions. This is because the country has been the world’s largest producer of nickel for the past four years, thanks to a large influx of Chinese capital into its mining and smelting operations.
According to three people familiar with the matter, the Indonesian government and the nickel industry are working on new investment projects in which Chinese companies will have a smaller stake. It is possible that the nickel supplied through these deals will be eligible for tax benefits under the IRA. However, in order for the Indonesian nickel industry to receive tax benefits, it will also need to negotiate a trade agreement with the United States. The Indonesian side is proposing an agreement limited to critical minerals.
The August issue of PSR’s Alternative Power Report includes several articles on battery development, including ones describing news at Tesla. This month’s report also includes news on hydrogen power and the decline in diesel sales. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast and Technology Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
As the electric vehicle market booms, the demand for lithium has also soared, with global lithium production more than tripling in the last decade. Current methods of extracting lithium from rock ores or brines are slow and come with high energy demands and environmental costs. They also require sources of lithium which are incredibly concentrated to begin with and are only found in a few countries.
Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) have optimized a new method for extracting lithium from more dilute (and widespread) sources of lithium, including seawater, groundwater, and “flowback water” left behind from fracking and offshore oil drilling.
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