Battery technologies

battergy technolories

Storage technology as enabler of flexibility

With the increasing efficiency of energy production methods (i.e. solar power, wind power...) and the emergence of electric vehicles the question of storage becomes increasingly relevant. Batteries will fullfil an important role in any sustainable energy system. This means that research on battery capacity, materials, environmental effects and production methods will become of vital strategical importance.

The integration of large amounts of intermittent renewable energy such as wind and solar power and the management of complex interactions between suppliers and customers will be two core challenges in the operation of any electricity grid in the near future. Energy storage capacity on both long- and short-term basis will play an important role in these future grids. The transition from large, centralized power production to a more decentralized system will require a range of new energy storage technologies.

Technology status

The explosive growth of consumer electronics in need of electric energy have has during the last decade triggered massive investments in battery technology, with major advances in battery capacity, power and lifetime. The use of batteries in zero-emission transport solutions and large scale energy storage will eventually yield significantly higher volumes and revenues than consumer electronics, but will require a stronger need for longevity.

Although battery manufacturers today are concentrated in Asia, much of the value chain of the materials and chemicals for the batteries is still located in high-cost countries such as USA and Germany. In electronics and the electric car market, capacity is a primary requirement, and thus Li-ion technology is especially well suited for this role. On the anode side, silicon is well known as a promising material with much higher density of Li than carbon. As the capacity of current Li-ion batteries is cathode limited, and the cathode has the highest material costs, considerable research effort is being directed at increasing the cathode capacity, focusing on environmentally friendly, safer and cheaper materials. Nano-structuring of the active electrode materials is seen as one promising path towards enhancing kinetics and battery life. Whereas lithium ion batteries are commercially available today, there are several novel technologies that hold great promise, but still face technological challenges to be overcome prior to implementation.

Among those suggested for automotive applications, lithium-sulphur and lithium-air batteries are thought to have great potential, but the use of elemental lithium imposes challenges both technologically and with regards to battery safety. Due to their potentially low cost and the abundance of starting materials, interest in zinc-air batteries has also been rekindled over the last few years. For stationary applications, completely different battery chemistries, such as molten salt, liquid metal, sodium sulphur (NAS) batteries and magnesiumbased batteries have an advantage over lithium-based batteries due to their lower cost and more abundant starting materials. Suggestions have also been made to explore the re-use of batteries that can no longer be

used in cars as a niche market for stationary solutions.

Challenges

Batteries are complex systems that require the combination of expertise in materials science, electrochemistry, physical characterization, modelling, thermal physics, and numerous other disciplines. Norway is well-equipped with relevant competence in these fields and there are currently several research groups with battery research activities. There are currently no battery manufacturers in Norway, but there are however large users of batteries, and manufacturers of several types of materials that could be used in batteries. The main challenges faced in Norway at this time are related to the use of batteries in the offshore and marine sector, with particular emphasis on lifetime prediction and safety. The development of batteries that can withstand extreme conditions, such as high temperature and high pressure-tolerant batteries for offshore applications, low temperature batteries for use in cold climates and very high longevity batteries for remote installation is also likely to be a focus area in the years to come.

Outlook

Batteries will eventually require large amounts of materials, if they are expected to fill all proposed niches. Eco-friendly and available materials, as well as re-use and recycling of the materials will become increasingly