New energy storage technologies from Rivus Batteries
The heart of the modern economy is undeniably electricity. To meet the energy demands of a rapidly growing global economy, there is an intense need to increase renewable energy production. Here’s why the modern economy needs batteries and energy storage.
The strong emphasis on the development of electromobility requires reliable energy storage solutions, and the key is batteries with high capacity, low weight and fast charging speeds. Many types of lithium-ion batteries are available, differing in the type of cathode, anode or electrolyte, and work is underway to improve them. The advantage of lithium-ion batteries is low weight and fast charging, the disadvantage is the critical raw materials, which, depending on the technology, include lithium, cobalt, nickel or manganese. Currently, demand for lithium-ion batteries exceeds global production capacity.
Renewable energy sources will play an increasingly important role in the energy mix of many countries in the coming years. Industrial electrification requires renewable energy storage during production peaks, and energy storage batteries must have high capacity, high current density, the ability to scale as needed, and the ability to store electricity for a relatively long time without loss. Due to their stationary nature, weight is not an issue. The solution may be redox flow batteries, in which two electrolytes are separated by a membrane that allows ions to flow and, consequently, electric current to flow. The size and shape of the cell determines the power of the battery, and the capacity depends on the size of the tanks. Stability, scalability, long life of flow cells, and use of non-critical raw materials are their main advantages. Vanadium-based flow batteries are the most developed, but work is underway to use electrolytes based on non-critical metals and organic electrolytes.
The search for sustainable energy practices will be incomplete without addressing the challenges of weather dependence and storage. Developing effective weather forecasting models is critical to the success of electrification and the creation of a more reliable and efficient energy ecosystem.
Energy storage is one of the most innovative industries of our time. From advances in battery technology to the integration of artificial intelligence in grid management, the search for more efficient and sustainable energy storage solutions is driving disruptive innovation.
Here are examples of innovations supported by EIT InnoEnergy
Rivus Batteries (Sweden) – long-term energy storage with flow batteries
The Batteries (Poland) – thin-film lithium-ion batteries that outperform conventional lithium-ion batteries.
Verkor (France) – Battery systems maintain maximum energy density through modern integration.