Batteries International, Issue 114 - Winter 2019/20 by hamptonhalls

Issue 114

Winter 2019/20

2020 vision: the year ahead New perspectives on an industry on the brink of transformation Dong Li and the future of battery giant Leoch

Flow batteries: the fight to gain market share

ELL W TE AT N TI US A , ELL G OB :B S U TH I Bringing the industry together W ER G www.batteriesinternational.com N LO O YN DL A S

Lead and the grid: good news for electric cars

Forgotten battery heroes: Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nicholas Callan

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CONTENTS COVER STORY: 2020 VISION, THE WAY FORWARD

The tipping point arrives — well maybe … Batteries International spoke to some of the shakers and movers in the energy storage business. The consensus: not just a robust year ahead but the start of potentially sweeping changes to the benefit of all chemistries. 2020 VISION: THE WAY FORWARD 57 58 59 59 63 65 65 67 68 71 72 74 74 75 75 77

The brakes are off — Sorfin Yoshimura Storage industry to profit from boom in renewable energies — ees & The Smarter E Drive for greater efficiency, R&D ever more important — MAC Engineering The energy storage roll-out continues — Bitrode A busy 2019 and yet another busy year ahead — Atomized Products Group Sustainable. Essential. Safe — BCI 2019 highlights and a new EU regulatory framework on batteries — EUROBAT Factors that will define the battery landscape in the years ahead — Batek Makina Ownership, realignment, opportunities — Hammond Group Opportunities, challenges and criticalities — OMI Innovation to thrive as we take advantage of changing times — ILA, CBI Battery price drops to fuel huge advances possible — Eaton Flow batteries continue to evolve but commercialization struggling — Swanbarton, IFBF Looking ahead to a decade of advancement — Daramic Batter, Quality consistency is key for electro mobility — Bühler Three big predictions for 2020 — Innolith

EDITORIAL Lithium, the first cracks appear

Our visions of the future From page 57

PEOPLE NEWS 5 Sunlight announces management changes ahead of $6.5m US plant build • Mark Stevenson awarded lifetime lead award at ILZDA conference • Austin Attewell 19302019 • ABC raises over $40,000 for Indonesian charities through One Minute Giveback • Australian battery testing expert Bob Gell passes away aged 73 • Digatron makes two new appointments in China and US • Lead industry partners EPA to celebrate recycling heroes • ITS hires Chris Sizemore as global sales manager for battery division EnerSys hires former NorthStar’s Cordray as part of new team • Galyen joins Tydrolyte advisory board • Innolith appoints new board member • Miksad joins BCI as in-house counsel NEWS 21 Aqua Metals fire puts operations on hold, 69 staff laid off, first insurance payment of $2.5m • Hoppecke to evaluate Gridtential bipolar batteries as commercialization advances • Advanced Battery Concepts announces seventh licensee for its technology • ENTEK and NSG break ground on new Indonesian separator plant • UK Battery Industrialization Centre to open in 2020 • EDF buys Pivot Power to expand battery storage and EV charging • India mulls scrappage of 15-year-old cars alongside emissions controls • Japanese firms to build lithium battery plant in India • Tesla to install Powerwall in Japan this spring • Oxis signs with Sanyo to target Japan with lithium-sulfur technology • Highview to install first commercial cryogenic energy storage facility • Hydrostor, NRStor announce world’s first commercial CAES facility • Water Gremlin moves back to full production after agency shut-down • EC halves fine on Campine for alleged role in price-fixing cartel • EC to investigate Hungary subsidy of Samsung • US customs seize shipment of fake lead batteries in San Juan • Chinese battery makers cut production as lead exports rise • Doe Run to pay $1.2 million fine for clean air violations • Glencore shutters Belledune — only two primary smelters left in North America • Nyrstar says final work on Port Pirie furnace will lead to full production www.batteriesinternational.com

ILZDA honours Stevenson with life-time achievement award 5

Miksad: moves to work full time for BCI as in-house counsel 18

Aqua Metals: first insurance payout after factory blaze 21

Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 1

CONTENTS PRODUCT NEWS 32 Industry first for new rechargeable lithium-carbon dioxide battery • NaS batteries re-enter fray for long duration storage with NGK/BASF partnership • Exide releases GNB lithium battery at Logistica trade fair • Jenax introduces non-flammable liquid electrolyte for li-ion batteries

Gold mining gets investment in solar+storage energy project 39

Super recreation park in London to get mega-storage plans 40

Dong Li: billion dollar turn-over in just a little over 20 years 42

PROJECT NEWS 37 Upside Group switches on latest 25MWh lead carbon battery system • Saft installs mini-storage systems in Australian outback • Sungrow-Samsung SDI sign up to supply solar+storage system in Massachusetts • Iberdrola rolls out first storage systems for distribution networks in Spain • UK’s Harmony Energy to install two 49.5MW battery installations • Hornsdale to double capacity of Tesla battery in South Australia • Salt River Project to build largest solar+storage installation in Arizona • Gold mining firms install solar+storage at African mines • Duke Energy Carolinas installs first battery system in South Carolina • EDF signs agreement to supply energy and storage to new UK theme park PROFILE: DONG LI, LEOCH BATTERY Championing the case for lead — but now lithium too, the next step ahead for Leoch’s founder, Dong Li, and his plans for his fast growing business.

LEAD AND THE GRID Rolling out lead batteries — to charge lithium ones (of course!)

FLOW BATTERIES 78 Flow batteries have struggled for almost a quarter of a century to prove their commercial viability. But, with a couple of large deals shortly turning into reality, perhaps now their time is about to happen. EVENT REVIEWS UK Battery & Energy Storage, Birmingham, England • International Lead and Zinc Development Association’s annual meeting, Mumbai, India

EVENTS 94 Our comprehensive guide to energy storage events around the world

Callan: wildly influential but largely forgotten 110

BATTERY HEROES: NICHOLAS CALLAN Callan’s Coil and the world’s largest battery

110

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2 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

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EDITORIAL Mike Halls • editor@batteriesinternational.com

Lithium, the first cracks appear For years the lead battery industry has been barraged by a wall of hype about the immeasurable superiority of lithium cells and packs — and probably lithium’s shiny brand new electrons too — over their lead counterparts. Lead was old fashioned. Yesterday’s news and yesterday’s science. Instead a shiny new lithium future beckoned and though there were going to be issues with recycling, safety and cost, all these were just problems awaiting a solution. It was almost touching, this blind belief that science could, and would, solve any and every difficulty. But the first cracks in this hype are starting to appear. One early signal was this January’s funding plan set out by the California Energy Commission to invest in research for any chemistry but lithium. It had echoes redolent of lead’s dark days in the state in the early 1990s, when the US Department of Energy decided to tackle the problem of the pollution hanging over cities such as Los Angeles by throwing some money around. The investment of $262 million in the solution with the three big US car makers set up the US Advanced Battery Consortium. The USABC had one particular quirk — it decided that it would research all energy storage possibilities bar one. The lead acid battery. “It’s dinosaur technology,” said one DoE official at the time, dismissing in a phrase the industry workhorse for over a century. Turning back to nowadays, what the California Energy Commission is doing — admittedly in a nuanced way — is to say that the vast energy storage needs of the state will not be met by lithium batteries alone.

But the first cracks in this hype are starting to appear. One early signal was the recent California funding plan to invest in research for any chemistry but lithium. 4 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

It was also a tacit acknowledgement which reflects the growing discontent that US utilities have with lithium as the energy storage medium of automatic choice. This time it was not to do with the problems of recycling lithium batteries. Nor was it do with their cost. Rather it was about reliability. Every US utility is charged with a commission, call it a duty, to make sure that electricity is available any time and all the time. Yes, brown outs will occur in exceptional circumstances but they have to be solved as rapidly as possible. And the emerging trend, now being uttered vocally by some utilities, is that when lithium goes wrong it can go wrong in a huge way. Last April’s lithium battery explosion in Arizona, wounding first responders and wrecking large parts of the installation, achieved national news status across the US. The utility, the Arizona Public Service, had invested heavily in understanding and operating batteries. It was a leader in the field. Since then it has put investment on hold though still committed to finding some 850MW of storage in the next five years. Other US utilities, with their pressing need on being 100% reliable, are becoming cautious. They too are aware of the damage occurring elsewhere in the world — in South Korea some 24 utilities reported energy storage related lithium fires last year. Some cities, the most notable being New York, have banned lithium batteries from dense urban areas by writing strict safety codes prohibiting them from large residential buildings. This is not to say that the lithium battery days are over for large scale energy storage. Rather that these first cracks in the battery chemistry may show that the near term future may not be as certain as the hype had made out. www.batteriesinternational.com

PEOPLE NEWS

Mark Stevenson awarded lifetime lead award at ILZDA conference

“This day 40 years ago I started at a lead smelter. And even now I still have a passion for this industry and I feel it’s where I belong. I’ve always fought for the underdog and I’ve never seen a group of people like it in any other industry, both fighting and working together. We’re a formidable partnership.” Mark Stevenson, one of the lead industry’s most popular and bestknown veterans, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement in Lead Award at the India Lead Zinc Association conference in Mumbai on December 2-3. It also marked — to the day — the beginning of his 40th year in the industry. The award was given for his expertise and contributions to the lead acid battery industry, said ILZDA president L Pugazhenthy, usually better known as Pug. Presenting the award at the International Conference on Lead and Lead Batteries – Energy Storage, E-Mobility and Environment, International Lead Association managing director Andy Bush praised Stevenson for his “genuine passion and commitment to the industry”. He said it also recognized the monumental efforts he had made in organizing the bi-annual Asian Battery Conference. This has grown from a handful of battery experts discussing technical content to become a major event. More than 1,000 delegates attended the 18th ABC in Indonesia last September, along with the 6th Secondary Lead Conference, both cornerstones of the industry in Asia, Bush said.

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For the first time at this year’s ABC, Stevenson and conference co-organizer Mark Richardson held a charity event, the ‘One-Minute Giveback’, in which delegates donated cash and goods to poor children in Bali. More than $40,000 was raised. “I have known Mark for years, he has become a personal friend, and he has always had an extraordinary willingness to help those who truly want to see the industry prosper,” said Bush. Accepting the award, Stevenson — who had been totally unaware that he was to receive it — said he was deeply honoured and thanked everyone in the industry. “This day 40 years ago I started at a lead smelter,” he said. “I still have a passion for this industry and I feel it’s where I belong. I’ve always fought for the underdog and I’ve never seen a group of people like it in any other industry, both fighting and working together. There’s a lot of friendship here. “Not one person here has all the answers or the knowledge, but together we have the knowledge and the answers and the only way is to work together.” Australian Mark Stevenson joined

Simsmetal in 1980, working at the lead smelting unit while he studied Material Sciences part time. He then transferred to Pasminco, which operated zinc and lead mines, refineries and the world’s largest lead smelter. In 1995 he moved to the head office in Melbourne, where his skills were focused on the marketing and technical support of lead products. Stevenson stayed throughout the Pasminco/Zinifex/Nyrstar mergers until 2010, when he joined Eco-Bat Technologies as technical manager for the Asia region. He left Eco-Bat three years ago to fulfil a long-held ambition to provide a speciality secondary lead consultancy — Global Lead Technologies — that provides independent expert advice to the Asian region. On the second day of the conference, Stevenson gave a presentation on what he calls the four S’s challenging the lead battery industry: Slag, Sulfate, Separators and Simplicity. He also attacked the informal recycling sector, which he calls ‘rogue smelting’, and said used lead acid batteries were not a waste product: “they are a valuable commodity,” he said.

Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 5

OBITUARY – AUSTIN ATTEWELL

Austin Attewell 1930-2019 Austin Attewell, one of the early pioneers of primary lithium and thermal lithium batteries, has passed away at the age of 89. Attewell was arguably one of the brightest battery scientists of his generation and well known throughout the industry from the 1970s onwards. Born in April 1930 he attended a local grammar school in Frimley and Camberley before taking a degree in chemistry at London University and military service in the Royal Air Force. He joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment, part of the UK’s defence ministry, as a research scientist looking at military batteries in 1952. He was to work for the next 42 years for the UK Scientific Civil Service before retiring as a consultant and getting involved in specification work and the creation of a database containing details of all batteries of interest to the UK military. Much of his research was centred around the development of primary lithium batteries with a particular expertise in thermal batteries, where lithium batteries were required to give high amounts of energy in a rapid burst at elevated temperatures. He was also a pioneer in zinc air research and as part of his work was a prominent figure in battery testing and the formulation of regulations and specifications around them. “He had an encyclopædic knowledge of batteries and an impressive specific recall of projects, successes and failures from over the years,” says Andrew Ritchie, a colleague of his for many

years. “It would be fair to say that he was possibly the most important battery expert of his time in the UK.” In many ways Attewell was ahead of the game. While it was known from the very beginning that primary lithium batteries would be a thermal hazard, he was at the forefront of active trials. In 1989, for example, he presented a paper on the behaviour of lithium batteries in a fire. This looked at all the different types of cells commercially available in the UK that could be used for military applications. Here his tests were to show that the design of the cell caused major differences in behaviour. Scrupulously analysed this went on to discuss the potential hazards to humans — reflecting yet another characteristic preoccupation he had over ensuring safety for those working around high energy batteries. As a leading figure in his field, Attewell contributed several papers to the Journal of Power Sources, ranging from thermal batteries to the safety testing of lithium types. He became one of its editors in 1993. For several years he contributed a regular column to Batteries International. It was no secret that Attewell was an enthusiastic evangelist for the annual International Power Sources Symposium and even Don Gribble, the editor of Batteries International at that time, reckoned his column was frequently industry comment laced with a powerful endorsement of future or past meetings.

“He had an encyclopædic knowledge of batteries and an impressive specific recall of projects, successes and failures from over the years. It would be fair to say that he was possibly the most important battery expert of his time in the UK.” Andrew Ritchie, a colleague of his for many years. 8 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

For several years he was on the review committee that vetted the content of papers that were to be presented at the symposium meetings. In 2001 he was awarded the Frank M Booth Award in recognition of ‘his outstanding contributions to the advancement of power sources, both technically and in furthering the effectiveness of the Power Sources Symposium’. He attended the inaugural symposium in 1958 and was a regular attendee until the early 2000s. Cooperation with government organizations and manufacturers in North America who were working on weapons’ batteries led to his love of the United States, where he and his wife spent several weeks each year on holiday. Attewell was a man of many interests. He was a keen photographer, involved in all aspects of the British countryside — its landscape, transport and buildings — and had a lifelong interest in model-making. This led him into a deep involvement with the Pendon Museum Trust, an ambitious project to re-create in miniature and with detailed accuracy a small part of southern England as it appeared in the interwar years. He had a long and lasting marriage to his wife Edna who survives him and shared many of his interests. They wed in 1959 and this spring had celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

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PEOPLE NEWS

Sunlight announces management changes ahead of $6.5m US plant Industrial battery manufacturer Sunlight Batteries, a member of the Greek multinational Group Olympia, announced in December it had already made sweeping management changes on top of a $6.5 million spend on its first North American facility. The changes signal a shift in focus to lithium battery technology, although the company says its new plant, in North Carolina, will assemble and distribute both lead and lithium batteries for traction, standby and defence applications. Two weeks after the company said it was setting up the plant — planning for which had been going on for a long time — it announced CEO Vasilis Billis is to step down, although he remains on the board of Olympia subsidiary company Play, a mobile phone firm. He leaves Sunlight after six and half years and is being replaced for a transition period by Robby Bourlas who became Olympia Group CEO in February 2018 and chief executive of Sunlight from this October. Bourlas joined Public, part of the Olympia Group, in 2006 and spent eight and a half years rising from a sales and development director in 2006 to Public’s managing director and finally its CEO in 2012. In January 2015 he became chairman and CEO of Westnet Distribution, also part of the Olympia Group. Before that he was a commercial director based in the UK for the

easyGroup. “At the same time the company proceeds with its structural changes concerning its organization, as well as the organization of its production with the objective to focus on its strategic priority relating to the ever-growing technologies of lithium batteries, targeting a leading position on the global scale,” said the firm. Other changes include the appointment of Foad Derisavi to the management team to take on the production and development of lithium products and advanced technologies. His brief is to help Sunlight expand its lithium battery line for industrial use in international markets, the firm says. Also taking on more of a role in the lithium battery sphere is the ex-

isting head of the recycling division, Spiros Kopolas, who assumes the duties of business development for lithium battery applications, “aiming to further expand the prospects of Sunlight via partnerships on a global scale,” the company says. Vassilis Gavroglou will join the management team as director of human resources. In December 2018, Sunlight announced plans to almost double its production of lead-acid batteries at its plant in Xanthi, Greece to 3.5 million cells a year, which would make it the largest lead-acid battery plant in Europe. The expansion was enabled following a €12.5 million ($13.9 million) loan from the European Investment Bank.

Billis: Part of Olympia board but stepping down from Sunlight.

Bourlas: Olympia group CEO took over as head of Sunlight in October

Employees at the Sunlight factory in Xanthi, Greece

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Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 9

OBITUARY – BOB GELL

Australian battery testing expert Bob Gell passes away aged 73 Robert Gell, an internationally respected expert on battery testing, electric vehicle charging and an early EV pioneer, died on December 10 at a private hospital in Adelaide, Australia after a brief illness. He was just 73 years old. Gell’s career in energy storage started in 1989 at GNB, a lead acid battery manufacturer later acquired by Exide Technologies. During this time he worked for the then leading Australian roadside assistance battery installers, Marshall Batteries. He was then shifted to the research and development arm of GNB, developing batteries to gain a longer lifespan in extreme temperatures. In the process he became an expert on lead battery additives with a formidable understanding of the causes of how and why batteries fail. In his next position he became national manager for commercial sales and worked there until about 2003, when he went to manage motoring organization Club Assist Australia. Here he took care of its global training and battery roll-out programs for the US and Europe markets at the time. “After a very brief 10-week retirement trial in 2011, he needed to do something,” says his son Phil Gell, also co-founder of Gelco

Services, a battery testing and validation firm that the two set up. “Over the years in Gelco he pioneered the installation of the first 3 DC electric vehicle fast chargers in Australia in 2011, then grew Gelco to cover automotive battery services before moving into storage, mobile power solutions and e-bike batteries.” From his early contacts with electric vehicles in the late 2000s, Gell was one of the first knowledgeable enthusiasts of lithium ion batteries, although he still saw a future for advanced lead batteries and followed the development of EFB and AGM batteries with much interest.

In March 2018, Digatron Power Electronics, the international testing firm, and Gelco Services formalized an existing working relationship, giving Gelco an exclusive technical sales and service representation for Digatron in Australia and New Zealand. Kevin Campbell, CEO of Digatron Power Electronics, said: “Our condolences go out to the Gell family and the team at Gelco Services, with the sad passing of Bob. “Bob and Digatron had a long standing partnership through his company that both sold and serviced our equipment in Australia. Bob will be sadly missed as a partner and as a friend. He was a true gentleman and a scholar.” Similar tributes have been made by his colleagues, friends, family and customers. “He was a man of tradition and innovation. He lived a life of love, fun, devotion and caring and is respected and remembered by all who knew him,” said a family statement. “He will be sadly missed by many around the world who called on his many talents and wealth of knowledge,” said a colleague. “It was humbling to see how many lives he touched, the respect he received as a professional businessperson, and of course a true gentleman … Bob you will be missed.” His son, Phil, who heads up Gelco, says his father had taken a step back from the business in the past couple of years to focus on the good things in life. A funeral service was held on December 17. He is survived by his wife Christine and his three sons Sean, Philip and Timothy and grandchildren Nicholas and Caitlyn.

“He will be sadly missed by many around the world who called on his many talents and wealth of knowledge … It was humbling to see how many lives he touched, the respect he received as a professional businessperson, and of course a true gentleman. Bob you will be missed” 12 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

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PEOPLE NEWS

ABC raises over $40,000 for Indonesian charities through ‘One Minute Giveback’ The organizers of this September’s Asia Battery Conference have reported that their charitable initiative known as the ‘One Minute Giveback’ has raised over $40,000 for three local Bali charities. This fund raising is a first for the lead battery industry. It was organized by Conference Works, which runs the ABC, and battery industry firm Sorfin Yoshimura. Three local charities were chosen before the conference for the One Minute Giveback. These were: The Bali Children’s Project, Yayasan Solemen Indonesia and the East Bali Poverty Project. Each of these tries to help different strands of the disadvantaged in Bali. “Tourism dollars often miss much of Bali’s rural population. For them life is very different from the luxury beach-front hotels, spas and cool beach clubs that dot the island,” says Mark Richardson, the head of Conference Works. “With help from our Giveback partner Sorfin Yoshimura and the care of our three charities we hope we have been able to make a difference and help those in need in Bali.” The purchasing power of $40,000 in Indonesia is many times greater than in the western world. The giving is comparable to a spend of $110,000 in the US. Linda Venter, a New Yorker who spends around five months of the year in Bali and represents the Bali Children’s Project said afterwards. “It is with much happiness and gratitude that we send you these photos of the children who received the backpacks from you at your conference. “One hundred children were able to go to school with pride, wearing new uniforms and shoes, carrying a new backpack filled with supplies. Many of these children would not have gone at all, or would have been embarrassed. “This made an incredible difference in their lives, and you made so many children and families all through Bali extremely happy.” The organizers would reveal little about the names or generosity of the donors but apparently there were

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several four figure donations. The largest two came from Taiwanese VRLA maker BB Battery and Sorfin Yoshimura. One delegate said he was proud to belong to an industry that now realized it should be giving something back. “It’s a great initiative — we are the lucky ones and it doesn’t hurt at all to remember those who aren’t,” he said. “I hope this is something that will be introduced in other conferences, and become a regular feature.”

Linda Venter, founder of the Bali Children’s Project

FULL EVENT REVIEW: 18 ABC — The one minuTe giveback

A thank-you from the Bali Children’s Project It is with much happiness and gratitude that we send you these photos of the children who received the backpacks from you at your conference. One hundred children were able to go to school with pride, wearing new uniforms and shoes, carrying a new backpack filled with supplies. Many of these children would not have gone at all, or would have been embarrassed. This made an incredible difference in their lives, and you made so many children and families all through Bali extremely happy

— Linda Venter, on behalf of the Bali Children’s Project

I Gede Arnawa

Mirah, Wulan, Meri, Shantiasih

I Gede Yelo Ardiana

I Gusti Ayu Linda

I Gusti Ayu Made Bernita Dewi

FULL EV

Ni Kadek M

I Gede Tata Pradita

Ni Kadek Ti Puspita

I Gusti Ayu Purnami Yanti

Ni Luh Mer Anggreni

Th — I Kadek Bandem Artajaya

I Kadek Dion Arga Saputra

I Kadek Gigik Ginanta

I Kadek Revan Wirana

I Kadek Tresna Suryawan

I Ketut Agus Andika Putra

I Ketut Harta Dinata

I Komang Adi Guna

I Komang Gunawan

I Made Adi Arnata

I Made Alit

I Nengah Bagia Artana

I Nyoman Inus Suparsa

I Nyoman Riko Antara

I Wayan Agus Jonata Putra

Gigik, Dion, Agus

Ni Kadek Ana

Ni Kadek Diana Putri

62 • Batteries International • Autumn 2019

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Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 13

Sometim were ask poverty-s skies tha

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PEOPLE NEWS

Digatron makes two new appointments in China and US Battery testing firm Digatron Power Electronics made two appointments towards the end of the year, with a new director of sales in Los Angeles, US and a general manager at its Qingdao, China facility. Marcus Peng as director of sales will have primary responsibility for the US west coast with special emphasis on the automotive sector. He will also help CEO Kevin Campbell with the firm’s operations in Qingdao. Peng has been involved in battery research, module and pack development and testing for more than 20

years, and has built up relationships within the lithium battery industry. His focus for Digatron will be on the consumer electronics market and burgeoning technology sectors, including EV start-up companies, contact pack assemblers and cell R&D operations. He Zhou has been made general manager of the Qingdao facility, having joined the company in August 2018 when he lived in Aachen, Germany. “The management believes that He Zhou’s 12 years of study and work experience in Germany and

Marcus Peng

He Zhou

his Chinese background can perfectly co-ordinate the differences between eastern and western cultures to make the company operate more efficiently,” the company said. “At the same time, He Zhou’s solid technical background and understanding

of Digatron will enable the company to effectively assist Digatron to achieve more in the Chinese market.” Separately, in October, Brian Stanhaus, who is based in Shelton, Connecticut in the US, was promoted to the position of senior sales engineer.

Lead industry partners EPA to celebrate recycling heroes

creates job opportunities for veterans and all Americans. “The recycling industry offers employment in skilled and unskilled positions to manage the use of raw materials for the production of new goods. Recycling extends the life of many products, creating job opportunities for veterans and others worldwide.” Lead battery recycling supports a circular economy where waste materials are reused in the manufacture of new batteries. “With its 99% recycling rate, the lead battery industry acts as a model for other battery chemistries — and industries — in how to responsibly design, make, use, recycle and remanufacture materials,” says Kevin Moran, executive vice president of Battery Council International, BCI is one of more than 160 organizations that have signed the EPA’s America Recycles Pledge. On October 3 BCI said the lead battery industry contributed $26.3 billion a year to the US economy according to research prepared by the EDR Group.

On November 11, the US Environmental Protection Agency, Keep America Beautiful and the US Department of Defense, hosted a special event recognizing ‘Recycling Heroes within the Military’. The lead battery manufacturing and recycling industry provides jobs suited for military veterans transitioning to the private workforce. Shane Anderson, who

Tod Lyons

spent six years in the Army National Guard before joining Exide Technologies as a

transport supervisor, says: “Many recycling facilities in the US are in areas that do not have many job opportunities. The jobs the recycling provides are valuable to individuals and the communities where they live.” Tod Lyons, communications and sustainability manager for Interstate Batteries and a former US Coast Guard, says recycling

ITS hires Chris Sizemore as global sales manager for battery division US heating and washing equipment maker International Thermal Systems has hired Chris Sizemore as global sales manager for its Battery Division, the company announced in December. Sizemore will be responsible for global sales of ITS’s battery manufacturing equipment, which includes drying, curing and pasting machines. Some of its latest equip-

Chris Sizemore

ment include the Hydrocure, humidity drying chamber and FlashMaid Plate Dryer. Sizemore has a back-

14 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

ground in technical sales and project management. “We are excited to have Chris on board and look forward to expanding our product base,” said Battery Division general manager Matthew Zea. ITS also makes a range of ovens, furnaces and washers for the automotive, aerospace, power generation, foundry and metal packaging industries.

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PEOPLE NEWS

EnerSys hires former NorthStar’s Cordray as part of new team

International battery manufacturer EnerSys has taken on NorthStar’s Jeremy Cordray as director of technical sales, transportation markets three months after

buying the TPPL battery maker. Cordray was with NorthStar for seven years, latterly as director, transportation batteries. One of NorthStar’s major achievements was to drive TPPL batteries in trucking applications, which it says it implemented with most major trucking fleets in the US. It also connected its Blue+ TPPL batteries to the grid at City Utilities in Springfield, Missouri to add peak shifting, frequency regulation

and UPS back-up power to customers in the southwest region. “Over the past seven years I have been able to be part of the TPPL revolution with NorthStar and I am so happy to continue on this path alongside a team of talented and passionate people,” said Cordray. “It is a very exciting for thin plate pure lead battery technology and I am excited to join the industry-leading team at EnerSys. With the

drastic advances in transportation vehicles, it is important that lead battery manufacturers drive innovative solutions that will allow the market to continue to revolutionize the way we get from point A to point B. “In the coming months, the EnerSys transportation team is focused on ensuring that the transportation industry will have the energy storage devices that are needed for current and future technologies.

Galyen joins Tydrolyte advisory board

Lead battery veteran Bob Galyen, who recently left Chinese lithium battery giant CATL after eight years as its chief technology officer, is to join electrolyte start-up Tydrolyte’s advisory board, the company said on December 4.

Galyen, who is also chairman of the Battery Standards Steering Committee at the Society of Automotive Engineers and a former chairman of NAATBatt International, joins former ALABC technical program manager Boris Monahov and former EPA administrator Stephen Johnson on the Tydrolyte board. Among the companies Galyen has worked for are Magna, Delphi and General Motors, where he worked on the very first EV1 program powered by lead batteries.

During his time at CATL (China Amperex Technology Ltd), Galyen helped to expand the company to more than 25,000 staff and cement the company’s position as the world’s largest manufacturer of lithium batteries. “The global automotive battery industry is experiencing tremendous growth, and I believe Tydrolyte has a unique opportunity to play a critical role in the global race to develop and commercialize new technologies that deliver less expensive and longer lasting batteries,” Galyen said.

Innolith appoints new board member Innolith, the Swiss battery technology company, has appointed Anastasia Galochkina as an observer on the company board. Galochkina has over 15 years of experience within investment management in Russian and Swedish companies. Before Innolith, Galochkina was a managing director of Nafta Moskva, one of the largest private equity groups in Russia. Between 2004 and 2011, Galochkina worked as an investment professional for Vostok Nafta

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Investments, a Swedish listed investment fund, and was also on the board of Kontakt East Holding and Tinkoff Credit Systems as fund’s representative. The appointment of Ga-

lochkina as an observer on the Innolith board follows the announcement of new sales representatives in China and the US as well as a new product director. “Innolith is on the cusp of commercialization following two decades of research and development,” said Innolith CEO Sergey Buchin. “As we prepare to go to market, we are bolstering our company with professionals who can help drive us toward commercial success.

Tydrolyte unveiled its electrolyte, of the same name, at the European Lead Battery Conference in Vienna in 2018. CEO Paul Bundschuh said at the time that the firm already had several patents pending for its new electrolyte, which he said could potentially replace the sulfuric acid in lead acid batteries without the need for any other equipment or process changes. “Our chemistry has the same negative sulfate so the core reactions are the same as with sulfuric acid, but our positive ion structure is completely different than what’s in sulfuric acid,” he said. “Bob Galyen has unmatched expertise and brings a wealth of industry experience to the advisory board, including insights to the Chinese market, that will be instrumental as we move closer to commercializing our novel lead acid battery electrolyte technology.” Tydrolyte says it has signed testing agreements with several of the largest US and international lead battery manufacturers, which were evaluating Tydrolyte in their batteries.

Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 17

PEOPLE NEWS

Roger Miksad appointed BCI’s new SVP and general counsel Roger Miksad joined Battery Council International at the start of the year as its new senior vice president and general counsel. Miksad is already well known to BCI members, having acted for the council for the past 10 years while working for David Weinberg, a partner at the Washington-based law firm Wiley Rein. Effectively the appointment of Miksad brings his Wiley Rein work in-house to BCI. It reflects the greater amount of legislative and regulatory work BCI is involved in. David Weinberg will continue to work with the council. His experience within BCI has been intensive. “Over the years, I’ve supported BCI’s board of directors, its environmental, health and safety work, the marketing and technical committees, authored the BCI battery labelling manual, and led the association’s legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts in California, Washington, and other states,” says Miksad. Miksad says he is just starting preparations for the council’s twoyearly environmental health and safety conference. This year it will be held in St Louis, Missouri on October 27-28. Miksad says BCI’s workload has increased over the past decade. “Over the past few years, the industry has faced increasing regulatory and legislative attention as lead issues more broadly have gained exposure in the public eye,” he says. “While most of that attention rightly focuses on children’s exposures to lead from lead paint and drinking water, there is an unfortunate tendency to view all lead-related industries with a broad brush.

Miksad: “Over the past few years, the industry has faced increasing regulatory and legislative attention as lead issues more broadly have gained exposure in the public eye”

“Our mission is to ensure that regulators and legislators understand why we are different and the great strides the lead battery industry has made to protect our workers and neighbours. “We have already seen significant disruption from California’s attention to lead batteries, and the state still has several impactful programs ongoing, namely the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations and the green chemistry review. And, at least two other states have OSHA rulemakings underway. “There are also looming federal pressures. The two most potentially impactful long-term federal efforts will be OSHA’s long-planned effort to update the workplace lead rules, and Environmental Protection Agency’s eventual evaluation of lead under the Toxic Substances Control Act program. EPA will also soon review the National Ambient Air

“While the underlying technology of lead batteries has been around for a long time, I see nothing stagnant about the industry. The issues BCI’s members care about are exciting; the industry leads the world on recycling, and is investing in cutting-edge R&D programs to ensure the continued success of lead batteries.” 18 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

Quality Standards and National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants air rules and is likely to update the requirements for lead clean-up sites. “In addition, 17 federal government agencies have committed to turn their attention to lead as part of the federal “Lead Action Plan” to protect children. Any one of those regulatory programs has the potential to impact our industry. “We also can’t lose sight of the severe regulatory challenges we face in Europe as part of the EU’s REACH program and the End-ofLife Vehicle directive.” Miksad says BCI is a unique organization that represents an established and strong manufacturing and recycling industry that competes in high-tech sectors and provides critical components for the automotive, industrial and infrastructure investments the country needs. “While the underlying technology of lead batteries has been around for a long time, I see nothing stagnant about the industry. The issues BCI’s members care about are exciting; the industry leads the world on recycling, and is investing in cuttingedge R&D programs to ensure the continued success of lead batteries. “I greatly enjoy working with all the BCI folks. I regularly interact with on the BCI Board, the EHS and Marketing Committees, association staff, and all the employees I meet during plant tours. I could not ask for a better industry to work for.” Miksad joined Wiley Rein LP in 2009, and has counselled a range of chemical and product manufacturers on environmental, health, and safety related regulatory matters before the US EPA, the OSHA, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and other federal and state agencies. Miksad, who has worked for BCI throughout his career, is a familiar face at the BCI Convention + Power Mart Expo, EHS Conference, committee meetings and other events where he presents and briefs the members on BCI’s regulatory and legislative efforts.

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NEWS

Aqua Metals fire puts operations on hold, 69 staff laid off, first insurance pay out of $2.5m made A fire that ravaged Aqua Metals’ operations in Reno, Nevada on November 29 has put paid to any chance that the firm’s target of making all 16 of its AquaRefining modules operational by the end of the year. This target had widely been perceived by investors as key to assessing the viability of Aqua Metals’ attempts to commercialize its hydrometallurgical lead recycling process. The firm’s share price has slumped falling to $0.76 on market opening from $1.35 at the previous close. At the end of December it was trading in the 40¢-50¢ area. Six months ago AQMS was trading in the low $1.90s. On January 23 NASDAQ, the New York stock exchange. sent a notification of delisting since the firm’s shares had traded under $1 for 30 consecutive days. Aqua Metals has 180 calendar days to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. “We have up to $50,000,000 in property casualty and business continuity and loss of production coverages and we are currently reviewing available insurance coverage,” said Steve Cotton, president and CEO of the firm after the announcement of the fire. “We will pursue all available claims for insurance recovery to restore the AquaRefinery to its pre-fire state and commencement of operations of all 16 AquaRefining modules.” The company has since received an interim pay-out of $2.5 million. Aqua Metals said it had provided severance arrangements to the 69 staff that had been laid off. It said it had also stopped ‘various construction projects’, cancelled equipment orders, returned materials for refund and sold any remaining goods inventory. The firm said: “After initial damage assessments, Aqua Metals believes that it will incur a material cost and experience a material delay in operating any processes within the plant. Specifics on timelines, costs and availability of insurance coverage will be determined as we progress with inspections, assess damage and plan accordingly. “We expect that the recovery and rebuild of the AquaRefining area could take several months or more. We have

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already been working closely to coordinate recovery activities and plans with our supportive operations management and maintenance partner, Veolia. “The cause of the fire is unknown and the local authorities and other parties need to investigate the origin of ignition and the root cause. The flames at one point reached the upper roofline of the AquaRefinery area and damaged the roof. “The fire and related intense heat and smoke caused significant damage to a material amount of equipment in the AquaRefinery area, including all 16 AquaRefining modules, control wiring and other supporting infrastructure. “In addition, approximately 1,600 gallons of AquaRefining concentrate was released within the plant due to a tank succumbing to intense heat. That concentrate, along with thousands of gallons of water deployed to extinguish the fire, resulted in approximately 1 inch of liquid to spread throughout the entire plant and reached the in-plant operational offices.” This could add another dimension to the fire, given that the concentrate is methyl-sulfonic acid, a known carcinogen and a hazardous chemical requiring immediate medical attention if ingested. The firm said that the floor to ceiling firewall between the AquaRefining area and the rest of the plant appears to have isolated most of the damage to the AquaRefining area. An initial assessment said the firewall had spared key front-end process equipment such as the battery breaker/ separation system, concentrate production area, kettles and ingot casting, water treatment and recovery and other important areas of the plant. The administrative office area also appears to have remained intact. “The company is diligently working on documenting the inventory of the losses of equipment, property, business interruption and immediate costs related to supporting these activities.” The direct inspection has been hindered because of safety requirements and security concerns says the firm.

Flames inside the AquaRefining area reached the roofline. SOURCE/CAPTION: AQUA METALS

In the foreground, one of the concentrate tanks succumbed to the flames. Also pictured is representative damage to the control wiring, part of the AquaRefined lead conveyance system which melted as well due to the intense heat. SOURCE/CAPTION: AQUA METALS

All 16 of the AquaRefining modules suffered damage —assessments will continue. SOURCE/CAPTION: AQUA METALS

“We will pursue all available claims for insurance recovery to restore the AquaRefinery to its pre-fire state.” Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 21

NEWS

Hoppecke to evaluate Gridtential bipolar batteries as commercialization advances Gridtential, the US bipolar technology developer, announced mid-November that Hoppecke, the European battery manufacturer, was about to conduct an evaluation program for the company’s silicon joule technology. There are five other undisclosed firms that are evaluating the technology before potentially acquiring licences.

“The purpose of the program is to allow customers to evaluate the technology before they commercialize the process and agree to be licensees,” says Ray Kubis, chairman of Gridtential. Three firms, Crown Battery, East Penn and Leoch International, have already agreed to be licensees and are progressing with the technology. Gridtential is in the middle

of what it calls the ‘industrialization’ of its technology — effectively converting what can be done manually into automated processes to achieve the costs and process control such advanced batteries will need. The first part, high speed precision pasting on to a carrier rather than a grid, has been accomplished using pasting tools developed by Wirtz Manufacturing.

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The second component, assembly of the battery, is being looked into. In October, the firm presented a manual assembly of the battery at Crown Battery to MAC Engineering, Sovema Group, TBS Engineering and Wirtz. The objective was to let main-stream equipment companies see first hand the components and sequencing needed in planning a highspeed assembly line. “We expect some form of robotic pick-and-place solution will be developed for the assembly line,” says Kubis. “The process is like adding layers of salami, as you move from 2V cells up to 12V, 24V, 36V and 48V designs. “We are hoping to see proposals from these firms for the mechanized assembly of batteries by early 2020.” The third component of the industrialization is the issue of sealing — traditionally a difficult problem for bipolar batteries. “We’re progressing well at the sample stage,” says Kubis, “with laser welding seemingly the most likely case seal solution, though some licensees may use overmoulding or other suitable options. “The cell wafer seal, with high-quality gaskets, has

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“We expect some form of robotic pick-and-place solution will be developed for the assembly line.” Continued on page 23 >

22 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

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NEWS > From page 22

been well accepted.” Kubis says he hopes to have some products in the field by 2020 and the plan would be to have licensed partners manufacturing them by 2021. Gridtential was founded in 2011 to develop its silicon joule bipolar technology, which replaces the lead grid and cell connecting lead-strap material inside a traditional lead battery with a silicon substrate that can be inserted without altering much of the existing production line. The early processes of paste mixing and curing are unchanged, as is the more expensive charging and formation equipment. Gridtential says its technology removes up to 40% of the lead required in a traditional battery and the associated weight by eliminating the lead grid and strap material.

Advanced Battery Concepts announces seventh licensee for its technology Advanced Battery Concepts, the US bipolar battery developer, announced on November. 27 that a seventh lead battery company — unspecified but Asia-headquartered — had acquired licensing rights to its GreenSeal technology. This is the seventh licensee agreement and the second new licensee in 2019. The licence gives battery manufacturers the right to make GreenSeal batteries on a non-exclusive basis. It also secures rights to any future bipolar lead technology developed by ABC. Edward Shaffer, CEO and founder of Advanced Battery Concepts, said that the new licensee was

further proof that his product was ripe for mass adoption. The new licensee, the name of which is held back by a non-disclosure agreement, joins six existing firms — Crown Battery, Clarios, EnerSys, Exide Industries, Trojan Battery Company, and Monbat. Separately at the ILZDA conference, Dipak Chaudhuri, president of R&D at Exide Industries, said his firm was in the final stages of testing GreenSeal technology on a manufacturing line before mass deployment. Exide is the largest maker of automotive batteries in India’s huge energy storage market.

“Exide is well positioned to rapidly install scale capacity and bring this technology to India,” said Shaffer. “We’ve managed to get energy storage down to $0.17/kWh and we see that $0.06/kWh will be achievable. Given that peaker plants produce electricity at $0.02-0.03/ kWh, energy storage with bipolar batteries will become a game changer.” Shaffer says the bipolar battery design means that 46% less lead is used in their manufacture with an extended cycle life of up to three times. ABC is based in Clare, Michigan and was founded by Shaffer in 2009.

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NEWS

ENTEK and NSG break ground on new Indonesian separator plant Separator firm ENTEK and its Japanese partner NSG broke ground on their Indonesian plant expansion with a traditional prayer ceremony and ribbon cutting on November 11, while production was paused so that all the staff could join in. The expansion is a new line that integrates extrusion technology and process controls made by ENTEK Manufacturing, a sister firm. The upgrade will focus on P/E separators for startstop batteries, a market that both ENTEK and NSG expect to boom in Asia, particularly with the grow-

ing demand in Japan. “This first new line will be a beast of a line that marries all of ENTEK’s latest technology and innovation with ENTEK and NSG’s commitment to provide superior-quality product and service globally,” says Clint Beutelschies, vice president of global sales for ENTEK. ENTEK is the largest manufacturer of separators for automotive batteries in the Americas and Europe but sees “a great growth opportunity in Asia”, says Beutelschies. “This strategic investment is integral to ENTEK’s plan to continue to expand

its reach throughout Asia and will be built to accommodate additional future expansions to support market growth and the technical evolution of the battery market in Asia.” It will more than double separator production at the Bogor facility. The floor area will be expanded to 15,000 square metres, leaving room for further expansion if needed, the firm says. ENTEK CEO Larry Keith led other global management personnel and representatives from the building firm, PT Alam Dunia Engineering and Construction, at the event.

UK Battery Industrialization Centre to open in 2020 UK engineering firm NG Bailey has been hired to help set up the UK’s first battery industrialization centre, which should be completed by next spring, the firm announced on November 28. NG Bailey will be principal contractor for the £126 million ($163 million) development, which will develop the latest battery technology in a government-backed project in the city of Coventry located in the Midlands. “When complete in early 2020 it will play a crucial role in enabling the UK to

prepare its home-grown battery technologies for global competitiveness and will provide a stepping stone towards the creation of a UK gigafactory,” says the company. The UKBIC is part of the government’s Faraday Battery Challenge — a £246 million commitment over the next four years on battery development. Director of business development Isobel Sheldon confirmed that the batteries would be made for a range of industries, ‘from automotive EV to aerospace among others’.

EDF buys Pivot Power to expand battery storage and EV charging French electric utility company EDF Energy has bought the UK battery storage and electric vehicle charging network firm Pivot Power, the firms announced on November 4. Pivot Power, a start-up

firm, claims to be developing the world’s largest transmissionconnected battery storage and EV charging network. EDF’s purchase will hugely increase the firm’s footprint in the sector.

24 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

NG Bailey will deliver all mechanical and electrical services for the development, with most equipment being manufactured offsite. “We are creating a bespoke 20m long, 5m high bridge structure that will house multiple services,” said Duncan Smith, operations director for the Midlands. Jeff Pratt, managing director of UKBIC, said: “Phase one of the building shell construction has been completed and NG Bailey is due to start work on the second phase — the build project is starting to gather momentum. “UKBIC’s open access process facilities will play a pivotal role in helping the UK to become a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of battery technology for electric vehicles and other applications.” Pratt was previously general manager at Nissan’s lithium ion battery plant in Sunderland.

VC funding for battery storage rises by 104% in Q1-Q3 2019 A November report by market analyst Mercom Capital Group revealed that venture capital funding for battery storage companies in the first nine months of 2019 was up 104%. This totalled $1.6 billion in 25 deals compared to $783 million in 38 deals in the same period of 2018. The increase was primarily due to Northvolt’s $1 billion funding round in Q2 2019 which was the largest deal of the period. This is to enable setting up the first gigafactory for lithium-ion battery cells in Europe. The gigafactory — to be established in northern Sweden — will have an initial capacity of 16GW per year, later to be expanded to 32GW, and will target both mobile and stationary energy storage markets. Northvolt also announced plans to establish a second gigafactory in Germany in cooperation with the Volkswagen Group. Sila Nanotechnologies, a company researching battery storage technology, secured another second slot of the five with $170 million in funding led by Daimler. Sila manufactures a silicon-based anode to replace graphite in lithium-ion batteries. and, with this new funding, plans to develop materials to improve battery storage capacity according to CEO and co-founder, Gene Berdichevsky. There were three other large VC funding deals: Energy Vault raising $110 million, Romeo Power with $89 million, and Form Energy amassing $40 million. Market analyst Avicenne predicts that growth in the battery industry will have to more than double between 2015 and 2025 to meet demand — with a key area the integration of renewable energy into grids.

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NEWS

India mulls scrappage of 15-year-old cars alongside emissions controls India is considering scrapping all cars over 15 years old in a policy to run alongside its Bharat Stage regulations, which have been gradually implemented in a series since 2000 in an effort to control vehicle emissions, IESA president Rahul Walawalkar told Batteries International on December 2. The India Energy Storage Alliance head said work was being done on implementing a new law to scrap old cars as well as putting into force the Bharat Stage VI regulation, under which by April 1, 2020 diesel vehicles will have to reduce their NOx levels by 70%, and petrol cars by 25%. On-board diagnostics will also be compulsory on all cars to measure emissions. The regulations are in line with the Indian government’s ambition to make all new cars electric-only by 2030 — a move that Walawalkar says is unrealistic: “There is no way that we will be totally EV by 2030, it’s not going to happen, but it’s going in that direction,“ he said. “It might be achieved by 2035.”

Moreover, as a spokesperson for the International Lead Zinc Development Association points out, the government has bowed to increasing pressure from automotive OEMs themselves to slow down the uptake of lithium vehicles. The government continues to push lithium-ion batteries with its FAME regulations, which exclude lead batteries from the subsidies it offers other chemistries, principally lithium-ion. “The government view is that lead doesn’t need subsidizing and actually IESA as an organization tries to find things that are not dependent on being subsidized as we believe they are not sustainable. We want to remove the barriers that don’t allow competition,” Walawalkar says. “There are a number of applications where the need for daily recycling of batteries is becoming a real threat for lead batteries, for example with high-speed two-wheelers, which the government wants to see more of. “The cost of lithium is

Japanese firms to build lithium battery plant in India Japanese technology firms Toshiba, Denso and Suzuki have signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a $690 million lithiumion battery factory in Ahmedabad, India, by the end of 2020. The venture, which has been named Automotive Electronics Power Private Ltd (AEPPL). will first construct lithium battery packs and manufacture modules. By the end of the second phase the firm aims to produce 30 mil-

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lion lithium cells a year by 2025. Ownership is divided Suzuki 50%, Toshiba 40% and Denso 10%. The announcement follows news in July that Tata Chemicals is to set up a 10GW lithiumion battery plant in the Dholera Special Investment Region of Gujarat. The site will also carry out lithium battery recycling, as well as undertaking research and development of lithiumion technology.

“The government wants to make India a global hub for R&D and manufacturing of advanced energy storage and EV technologies”. coming down, and lithium batteries in high-speed twowheelers have a life expectancy of two to five years, sometimes lasting longer than the actual vehicle, whereas lead batteries in a high-speed two-wheeler can last only six months. “We need to wake up and see some of the changes that are happening and be ready to meet those challenges. With lead, you can’t lower the base cost, but you can improve the design and the materials. For some applications, such as stationary and microgrid, there is no reason why they should move to other technologies.” Walawalkar said the government had offered incentives for 50GW of energy storage in advanced chemistry cells to be installed by 2023, but the incentives did not apply to lead batteries,

since they were already being manufactured in India. “Other batteries are being imported into India, so the government can’t see why these are not made in India instead,” he said. “The government wants to make India a global hub for R&D and manufacturing of advanced energy storage and EV technologies. And this won’t be limited to batteries — it will be power and electrics, electric motors, drive trains — the entire value chain. “There have already been more than 100 business start-ups in the past 18 months in the energy storage and EV space, and the corporation tax rate reduction from 35% to 17% has seen India’s business ranking improve. “Instead of depending on others, India can do it on its own.”

Tesla to install Powerwall in Japan this spring Tesla is to start installing its residential battery system Powerwall in Japan next spring, Reuters news agency quoted the battery and electric car maker as saying on October 15. It will mark the product’s debut in Asia. Each one will cost $9,135 plus installation and retail tax costs. The systems include a Backup Gateway system, which manages grid connection. According to the news agency, the company has been taking orders in Japan for its Powerwall since 2016

but did not say when installations would begin. Shinji Asakura, manager of energy products in Japan, said feed-in tariffs that had guaranteed minimum power prices to encourage solar development would start to expire later this year, and there was a growing need for back-up power in the event of a natural disaster. Tesla has installed Powerwall systems at about 50,000 sites in seven countries since its launch in 2015, a company official said.

Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 25

NEWS

Oxis signs with Sanyo to target Japan with lithium-sulfur technology UK firm Oxis Energy announced on November 20 that it had signed an agreement with Japanese trading company Sanyo to introduce Oxis’s lithium sulfur battery technology to Japan, concentrating on the aviation, marine, defence and heavy electric vehicle markets. Oxis will undertake the transfer of technology and skills, and Sanyo will provide before and after sales support to customers. Oxis’s technology will be cross licensed so that Sanyo can use its intellectual property rights. “This is a major step for-

ward for us,” said Huw Hampson-Jones, CEO with Oxis. “Japan is one of the most sophisticated of markets when it comes to rechargeable lithium battery technology. It was a Japanese company that first commercialized lithium-ion batteries in 1991. “Oxis Li-S has superior energy performance and safety and will probably replace lithium-ion over the next five to 10 years.” Hampson-Jones says Oxis is already shipping cells in excess of 400Wh/kg, and the firm’s scientists are confident of achieving in excess of 500Wh/kg by 2020/21.

Hampson-Jones: “Japan is one of the most sophisticated of markets when it comes to rechargeable lithium battery technology”

“Aviation and HEVs are two key target markets to benefit from Oxis Li-S gains in energy density, safety and lightness of weight,” said

Highview to install first commercial cryogenic energy storage facility Highview Power, a developer of long-duration energy storage technology, said on October 21 it would install its first commercial cryogenic energy storage facility in the north of England. The liquefied air facility — CRYOBattery — will be installed at a decommissioned thermal power station in a process that can deliver anywhere from 20 MW/80 MWh to more than 200 MW/1.2 GWh of energy over a lifespan of 30 to 40 years. In June 2019 Highview announced it had developed its CRYOBattery. It uses electricity to cool air until it liquefies, before storing it in a tank. When energy is needed, the stored air is brought back to a gaseous state and used to turn a turbine, which generates power. Javier Cavada, CEO of Highview Power, says the large-scale facility can “help the UK achieve its goal of decarbonizing the power, heat and transport

industries, and provide stability services to the National Grid”. The technology was pioneered at Highview Power’s pilot plant in Slough,

near London, and has been successfully operating since 2008 at a demonstration plant in Greater Manchester. Along with this first

Hampson-Jones. “This partnership will see the established customer base in Japan benefit from this breakthrough battery technology.” Masanobu Shintani, president and CEO of Sanyo Trading, said: “From our 40 years’ business experience in the automotive industry, we believe that lithium sulfur batteries will be one of the most promising solutions for electrification in this industry. “It also has the capability to penetrate into next generation mobility such as eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft).” large-scale facility, Highview Power is securing sites for a further series of energy storage projects across the UK. The company won the 2019 Impax Ashden Award for Energy Innovation with its CRYOBattery technology.

Hydrostor, NRStor announce world’s first commercial CAES facility Toronto-based advanced compressed air energy storage firm Hydrostor and energy storage firm NRStor, also from Canada, announced the completion of their — and the world’s — first commercial CAES facility on November 25. The Goderich plant, in Ontario, provides 1.75MW of peak power output and more than 10MWh of storage capacity in what is being hailed as the first utility-scale commercial application of A-CAES technology. “This facility serves as an important proof point for A-CAES on the global stage, enabling the

26 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

build-out of Hydrostor’s full-scale project pipeline in Canada, the USA, Chile, Australia and other markets,” said Hydrostor CEO Curtis VanWalleghem. The technology works by using electricity from the gird to run an air compressor, producing heated compressed air. The heat is extracted from the air stream and stored for later use on discharge. The cooled compressed air is then sent underground and stored in a cavern. When the grid needs energy, the air is brought back to the surface, re-collects the stored heat and is expanded

through an air turbine to generate power on demand. The project was supported by Export Development Canada, a government-owned export credit agency, and received funding from Sustainable Development Technology Canada, a foundation created by the government to fund new clean technologies. Hydrostor says it has three projects in operation or under construction in Canada and Australia, and utility-scale projects ranging in capacity from 20MW-500MW across the US, Canada, Chile and Australia.

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NEWS

Water Gremlin moves back to full production after agency shut-down Water Gremlin, the lead battery terminal manufacturer, told Batteries International on November 7 its terminal casting operations are now back in full production after the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry issued a 72-hour shut down on October 28. In August, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) ordered it to suspend its solvent-based coating operations due to concerns about solvent vapours detected below the building. They also cited concerns that those vapours may migrate to neighboring homes. The company pushed back on those claims and it was already making improvements to at minimize further vapours from penetrating the floor. The installation of a vapour mitigation system, designed to draw any vapours out from under the slab, was well underway and just days from completion, said the company. The troubles for Water Gremlin began in January 2019. The MPCA announced that it had shutdown coating operations and notified local residents that the company had been emitting the industrial solvent trichloroethylene into the air above their permitted levels. That resulted in chemical exposure to the nearby area residents above the current health-based value of 2 micrograms per cubic metre of air. This had occurred for more than 15 years. The agency would not allow the company to restart coating operations, using a new and far less toxic solvent, until it agreed to pay a $4.5 million civil penalty, participate in two supplemental environment projects totalling $1.5 million, and agree to ongoing monitoring at an estimated cost of $1 million. Kurt Gifford, vice president of sales at Water Gremlin, said the company has been quite frustrated with the actions taken against them. “The large number of factors that were intentionally withheld from the public makes it very difficult to defend yourself.” Despite the fact that the company had found the issue on its own and

28 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

self-reported it to the MPCA in July 2018, the agency claimed it discovered the problem in January 2019. Another critical fact that was not disclosed at the time was that the health-based value of 2 micrograms per cubic metre had been at 2,000 up until less than nine months before the company self-reported. Gifford said, “It dropped from 2,000 to six. Six! That’s a 99.7% reduction without any public comment or notification. “After the company reported its issue, it was dropped down to two.” The MPCA also excluded information regarding how one would be at risk. Department of Health subsequently provided that guidance in their Health Assessment Series on Water Gremlin, published on April 26, 2019, when it explained that, “HBVs incorporate multiple safety factors intended to protect against human health effects. The HBVs are based on the assumption that one is breathing the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for up to a lifetime. “Actual exposures are most likely less due to the movement of people in and out of areas and changes in weather/wind direction,” he said. The assessment goes on to note that area cancer and birth defect rates are similar or slightly lower than expected levels for the area. “It is certainly interesting that the agency is being sued by local residents for knowingly failing to provide all documents related to Water Gremlin,” Gifford said. The recent closing of the entire plant was based on 12 elevated blood lead levels in children of Water Gremlin employees over the past two years. All details of the employees and lead level exposures are protected by privacy laws regarding health records. This makes it impossible for the com-

Gifford: “The large number of factors that were intentionally withheld from the public makes it very difficult to defend yourself.”

pany to do root-cause analysis. “They won’t show us the numbers,” he said. “It’s been very interesting how it’s all evolved. It’s come down to a judge saying there’s no factual data for many of these claims — relating to environmental issues, labour issues, lead issues — everything.” “We are complying with everything the MPCA is telling us to do, even though much of it’s not necessary because we are not a lead smelter and we do not deal with lead oxide, which is where the problems with lead are. We take hard lead and produce parts from hard lead, not oxides.” On November 6, it issued a new order requiring Water Gremlin to make changes to its hazardous waste management system and claimed it had found TCE and lead-containing waste on the floor and walls of the facility. More than 20 specific requirements were laid out for Water Gremlin to enact. Gifford says the company has completed many of these items, but is also challenging several.

Despite the fact that the company had found the issue on its own and self-reported it to the MPCA in July 2018, the agency claimed it discovered the problem in January 2019. www.batteriesinternational.com

NEWS

EC halves fine on Campine for alleged role in price-fixing cartel The European Commission’s General Court on November 7 almost halved a fine levied on battery recycling firm Campine for its role in an alleged pricefixing cartel that operated between 2009 and 2012. Commenting on the €3.9 million ($4.3 million) reduction, from the original €8.2 million ($9 million), Campine CEO Wim de Vos said: “Campine is happy that the fine got reduced, but we continue to believe we are innocent. There was no effect at all on battery market prices during that period. “We cannot comment on the cartel and the price fixing, as it dates from the period 2009-2012 and most, if not all, of the concerned people are no longer at Campine.” Campine chairman Patrick De Groote insisted the company had not actively participated in the cartel formation, but was ‘dragged along into it by one of our customers’.

“We are glad the court already recognized the very low involvement of Campine in the alleged cartel actions, but we are still of the opinion that Campine did not actively participate,” he said. The saga began in September 2012, when the European Commission said it had conducted dawn raids on the premises of several scrap battery and scrap lead buyers for the production of recycled lead. The result of the inspections was that the EC fined three lead battery recycling companies — ECOBAT Technologies, Campine and Recylex — a total of €67.6 million ($72.4 million) for their participation in a cartel to fix the prices of scrap automotive batteries in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands. A fourth, Johnson Controls (now Clarios), was given immunity from any penalty because of its cooperation in the matter. The collusion had been

carried out via telephone calls, emails and text messages, with coded language used to signal different price levels, the investigation found. “The parties were well aware of the illegal character of their contacts and sometimes tried to disguise them by using coded language, for example, referring to weather conditions to signal different price levels,” the EC said. “By coordinating to lower the prices they paid for scrap batteries, the four companies disrupted the normal functioning of the market and prevented competition on price.” All of the companies have received reductions in the size of their fines. The heaviest fine was levied on ECOBAT, which was originally ordered to pay €65.4 million but this was later halved to €32.7 million. Recylex was granted a 30% discount for its cooperation, which left a €26.7 million fine.

Recylex press and investor contact Gabriel Zeitlin said the firm had decided to lodge an appeal with the European Union Court of Justice following the General Court’s decision this May to dismiss their appeal. “We do not comment on any decision from the EU commission or any legal entity regarding any third party,” he said. “It should be noted that from the beginning of this investigation, Recylex raised awareness and provided training to all sales teams in all of the group’s subsidiaries. “The group adopted a code of ethics aimed at raising awareness among all employees of the importance of compliance with application regulations, particularly those relating to competition law.” The Recylex Group consists of four subsidiary business segments — lead, zinc, plastics and special metals.

EC to investigate Hungary subsidy of Samsung The European Commission announced on October 14 it had opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether Hungary’s plans to grant €108 million ($118 million) of public support to Samsung SDI for investing in the expansion of its battery cell production facility in Göd (Hungary) is in line with EU rules on regional State aid. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “Public investment is important to foster economic growth in disadvantaged regions in Europe. But public support should only be given if it’s necessary to trigger private investment in the disadvan-

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taged region concerned. Otherwise, it only gives the beneficiary an unfair advantage over its competitors, at the expense of taxpayers. “The Commission will carefully investigate whether Hungary’s planned support is really necessary for Samsung SDI to invest in Göd, is kept to the minimum necessary and does not distort competition or harm cohesion in the EU.” Samsung SDI is one of the main players in the fast growing lithium-ion battery market. The firm is investing around €1.2 billion to expand the production capacity of lithium-ion cells and battery packs for elec-

tric vehicles in its existing plant located in Göd. The work on the capacity expansion started in December 2017, and the implementation of the project is now well advanced. In 2018, Hungary notified the Commission of its plans to grant €108 million of public support for the project. EU State aid rules, in particular the Commission’s 2014 Regional State Aid Guidelines, enable member states to support economic development and employment in the EU’s disadvantaged regions and to foster regional cohesion in the single market. To be approved, the measures need to fulfil cer-

tain conditions to make sure that they have the intended positive effect. This includes that the support must incentivize private investment, be kept to the minimum necessary, must not lure away investment from a region in another member state which is as or more disadvantaged (“anticohesion effect”), and must not directly cause the relocation of activities (such as jobs) to the member state granting the support from elsewhere in the EU. The Commission has doubts at this stage that the planned aid support complies with all relevant criteria of the Regional Aid Guidelines.

Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 29

NEWS

US customs seize shipment of fake lead batteries in San Juan US Customs and Border Protection officers seized mid-October 1,072 rechargeable deep cycle lead batteries found to be counterfeit at the Port of San Juan. The batteries displayed “Reverse RU,” a protected trademark. The total estimated manufacturer suggested retail price of the seized batteries, had they been genuine, is $208,068, says a customs statement. “Consumers purchase products based on the qual-

ity attributed to a particular brand,” said Leida Colon, assistant director of field operations for frade. “Counterfeiters piggyback on a brand to sell an inferior quality product or that which does not meet the industry safety standards.” She said that customs focuses on “priority trade issues such as intellectual property rights, to protect American ingenuity and consumers from harmful products. Nationwide, in fiscal year 2018, customs

seized 33,810 shipments containing goods that violated intellectual property rights. The total estimated value of the seized goods, had they been genuine, increased to nearly $1.4 billion. “The work of Customs and other enforcement agencies to prevent the import and distribution of fake goods is critical to fair trade and highly valued and supported by our industry,” Lisa Dry, spokesperson for the Chicago-based Bat-

Chinese battery makers cut production as lead exports rise China’s lead battery makers scaled back their manufacturing operations for a third consecutive week, the Shanghai Metals Market reported on November 1 and the trend was set to continue into 2020. The SMM says the scaleback has been caused by slower demand for electric bike batteries, and referred to its own survey across lead battery producers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hebei provinces, where production levels were down 0.58% from the previous week. “Producers of electric bike batteries in Jiangsu and Jiangxi moved down a gear to avoid any inventory build-up, as orders from distributors shrank significantly on the back of falling lead prices and poor demand from end-users,” said the SMM. Automotive battery producers also operated cautiously in light of modest downstream demand and exports disruption amid Nigeria’s border closure, which the government has put in place until at least January 31 in a bid to tackle rice and other goods smuggling.

The SMM report was published after the price reporting and intelligence service Fastmarkets said China would become a net exporter of refined lead in 2020 as a result of higher forecast production and unimproved domestic consumption next year. Fastmarkets said senior analyst Zhiwei Zhang told the 2019 Lead & Zinc Week meetings in Kunming on October 17 that Chinese lead smelters were likely to increase production to take advantage of good profits for lead smelting due to higher treatment

charges for lead concentrates and sufficient supply for recycled lead batteries. “We see a fall in Chinese lead mine output in 2020, not least because there’s environmental pressure on the sector, but also because treatment charges are heading north, which will disincentivize miners,” said principal lead analyst with Wood Mackenzie Farid Ahmed. “This will be essentially balanced out by increased concentrate imports to leave Chinese primary production a little down on this year but with sec-

tery Council International (BCI), told American Shipper. “Counterfeit goods are unfortunately found across many industries, and in the battery industry, have the potential to create safety and performance issues if they have not been manufactured to the standards we require,” Dry said. “That creates harm for the consumer who has been defrauded of a quality product, and harm to the reputations of our brands.” The battery industry remains wary of counterfeit products entering the US market. ondary production a little higher. Consumption is slightly up, so overall there is no massive change from 2019 to 2020 in the supply-demand situation we forecast for the moment. “However, if treatment charges continue to increase and Chinese smelters can treat more concentrates without bursting through their limits, then there is a possibility that more concentrates will be imported and refined lead exported, as it won’t be needed domestically. “At the moment, the LME-SHFE arbitrage is getting more negative, so there is a driver to export spare refined lead if it can earn more outside China.”

Doe Run to pay $1.2 million fine for clean air violations The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has ordered the smelting and mining company Doe Run to pay a $1.2 million fine over clean air violations in recent years. Doe Run agreed to pay the fine midNovember. DNR’s action concerns issues at Doe Run’s secondary lead smelter in the hamlet of Boss, Missouri. It also orders Doe Run to take corrective steps to make its secondary lead

30 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

smelter compliant. Doe Run says that its recent performance is in compliance with the rules. “Our air emissions data shows that over the last 37 months we have been within the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) requirement for lead emissions,” says Steve Batts, chief operating officer at Doe Run. “Many of the issues identified by DNR have already been addressed.

This agreement provides a schedule to make additional investments to address remaining issues. We are confident that the investments being made will allow us to meet our obligations for many years to come.” Doe Run says that clean air violations are addressed only for its secondary lead smelter site and that it is in compliance with external air regulations in the larger community.

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NEWS

Glencore shutters Belledune — only two primary smelters left in North America Glencore, the British-Swiss trading and mining company, has closed its primary lead smelter in Belledune, Canada, the firm announced on November 13, leaving just two primary lead smelters in the entire continent of North America. The New Brunswick smelter will be wound down by the end of the year, with 420 staff losing their jobs and a handful being kept on to work on the decommissioning, the company said. At the time of going to press, Glencore had not commented directly to Batteries International about the closure. Industry analysts have told Batteries International that the closure is bound to have some effect on battery manufacturers in the US and Canada, although one of the largest of these, Exide Technologies, says 100% of its lead comes

from recycled sources, most of which is produced in its own facilities. However many battery manufacturers in the northeast of the US would be affected, said Farid Ahmed, principal analyst for lead markets with Wood Mackenzie. “Add to that the likely reduced lead output from Teck at their Trail smelter, plus the likely reduction in Korea of lead imports in 2020, and the high level of scrap exports from the US (mostly to Korea and India), and we could see some tightness emerging in the US market as 2020unfolds,” he said. “The news does not come as a big surprise, given that this smelter has been struggling to make a notable contribution to Glencore’s multi-commodity portfolio for years,” said Neil Hawkes, principal analyst at the Commodity Research Unit in London.

“The main impact of Belledune’s closure will be on primary lead supplies to the North American market. Provincial trade data confirms that all of the refined lead exported overseas from the Canadian province of New Brunswick (where Belledune is the only lead producer) goes to the US. “This smelter’s impending closure leaves just two primary lead producers within North America — Teck’s Trail in western Canada and Peñoles’ Torreón in northern Mexico. “Given the limited scope for either of these smelters to raise production, imports into the region may well have to rise again, having fallen in recent years as a tighter Asian lead market has dried up the flow across the Pacific. So there could well be some upward pressure on primary lead premia to attract higher imports to fill the gap left by

Belledune. “Also, some industrial lead battery makers could reassess their primary lead needs and switch to using more secondary lead for more battery products, putting some upward pressure on secondary lead premia. “Even before taking into account the winding down of operations in the weeks ahead, CRU was already estimating that strike-hit refined lead production this year would be around 50,000t, down from around 70,000t in 2018 (Glencore stopped reporting Belledune production in 2Q 2018) and its lowest annual total since the early 1990s.” In 2017, Reuters reported that Glencore had increased its production of copper and cobalt in the five years up to 2016, signalling a new focus on supplying the EV market. “The analysis (of research compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence for Reuters) supports Glencore’s assertion it is well positioned to capitalize on an anticipated surge in demand for electric cars in the coming decade,” Reuters said.

Nyrstar says final work on Port Pirie furnace will lead to full production For the record, Nyrstar Port Pirie announced on November 11 that it was in the final stages of restarting its primary Top Submerged Lance furnace and peripherals to allow the site to return to full production. “The required approvals for restart have been received from the regulator, SafeWork South Australia,” a company statement said. “The sinter plant was shut down on November 6 to facilitate the work required to restart the TSL. The warming up of the furnace to ‘cure’ the newly replaced refractory bricks has

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begun. It will take several days before the furnace will be ready for the first feed, which is expected on November 14.” Nyrstar official Victoria Dix would not say if production had begun, claiming it was ‘commercially sensitive’, as was all other information requested by Batteries International. The news appears to have affected lead prices, which have dropped 13% since their late October peak, says Farid Ahmed, principal lead analyst at Wood Mackenzie. “Lead was due a price

correction once the artificial support of problems at Port Pirie were gone and the markets could give a collective ‘phew!’ that a major supply headache appeared to be over,” he said. “However, Nyrstar has yet to prove that it can operate the TSL furnace at capacity for a sustained period, so the industry should keep a weather eye over this issue.” Nyrstar, which is majority-owned by the Trafigura Group, has been plagued by failures since June, when an unplanned production outage caused lead prices

to soar by around $250 per tonne. At one point it reached $2,100 per tonne. “The Port Pirie outage has caused some inconvenience for battery makers, especially in Asia, where most of the refined lead output goes,” said Ahmed. “Primary smelters elsewhere in Asia and also Europe noticed a marked uptick in requests for spot lead while Port Pirie was down. Much of the concentrate originally intended for that plant was instead sold into China, but deliveries to Port Pirie had resumed some time ago.”

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PRODUCT NEWS

Industry first for new rechargeable lithium-carbon dioxide battery Researchers at the University of Chicago have successfully tested the first rechargeable lithium-carbon dioxide battery, which can run up to 500 consecutive cycles. Researchers have long known that lithium-carbon dioxide batteries are a good option for energy-storage systems because they have an energy density more than seven times higher than regular lithium-ion batteries. In lithium-carbon dioxide battery chemistries, the discharge produces lithium carbonate and carbon.

While the lithium carbonate recycles during the charge phase, the carbon instead — until now — accumulates on the catalyst, which ultimately leads to the battery’s failure. A report published in the journal Advanced Materials says the scientists have overcome the traditional challenge with LiCO2 batteries, which is this inability to attain reversible formation and the decomposition of the Li2CO3 carbon discharge products. “The accumulation of carbon not only blocks the active sites of the catalyst

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and prevents carbon dioxide diffusion, it also triggers electrolyte decomposition in a charged state,” said Alireza Ahmadiparidari, first author of the paper and a UIC College of Engineering graduate student. By using a combination of MoS2 nanoflakes as a cathode catalyst with an ionic liquid/dimethyl sulfoxide electrolyte, the scientists have come up with a fully reversible Li-CO2 battery, the report says. “This combination of materials produces a multicomponent composite Li2CO3/C product,” the

report says. “The battery shows a superior long cycle life of 500 for a fixed mAh g-1 capacity per cycle, far exceeding the best cycling stability reported in Li-CO2batteries. “The long cycle life demonstrates that chemical transformations, making and breaking covalent C—O bonds can be used in energy storage systems.” Theoretical calculations were performed by a group at the Argonne National Laboratory to deduce a mechanism for the reversible operation of the battery.

NaS batteries re-enter fray for long duration storage with NGK/BASF partnership NGK Insulators, the Japanese ceramics manufacturer, and BASF New Business announced on November 7 they had entered into a joint development agreement for sodium-sulfur batteries for stationary applications. The goals are to achieve an increase in power and higher number of cycles per time unit, to open up new market segments for NaS batteries. The JDA extends a sales partnership agreement for sodium sulfur batteries announced this June. “Sodium-sulfur technology is ideally suited for long duration energy storage,” says Frank Prechtl, a business director at BASF. “With our envisioned technical advancements, we want to significantly broaden the application spectrum for these batteries.” Tatsumi Ichioka, general manager of the NaS battery division at NGK said: “As we move towards the next generation of sodium-

sulfur batteries, the interplay between the chemical processes taking place at battery cell level and the battery modules as a whole system becomes more and more crucial. “BASF’s chemical expertise and our know-how in the design and production of battery modules and systems complement each other perfectly here,” NGK’s NaS battery is the world’s first commercialized megawatt-class battery. It has the capacity to store large amounts of electricity for hours. “The NaS battery system provides an array of superior features, including larger capacity, higher energy density and longer life compared to other battery technologies,” says the firm. “These features are beneficial for stationary applications — in contrast to lithium-ion batteries, for example, which are suited to deliver high power over shorter periods.”

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PRODUCT NEWS

Exide releases GNB lithium battery at Logistica trade fair Exide Technologies, the lead and lithium battery manufacturer, unveiled the next iteration of its Sonnenschein Lithium Battery for forklifts at international logistics trade fair Logistica in the Netherlands on November 5. The battery, due to be released in Q1 2020, offers “advanced safety features and improvements in efficiency and runtime,” says the firm. Exide is also presenting GNB Fleet, its latest fleet management software, due to enter the market in Q1 2020. Cloud-based GNB Fleet measures battery, charger and site information, and offers data on energy consumption, item availability, and uptime. It detects damaged batteries and chargers before they fail. Fred van Verseveld, sales and marketing manager at Exide in the Benelux, says, “Our latest lithium battery will provide the lowest total cost of ownership for material handling applications, while GNB Fleet offers next-generation fleet management capabilities in the cloud.” Logistica is an international logistics trade fair that features around 200 exhibitors in the areas of material handling, intralogistics, robotics, and automation. “It shows how easily some traditional lead battery manufacturers have adapted to making lithium products to make sure they have a stake in that market,” said one industry insider.

Jenax introduces non-flammable liquid electrolyte for li-ion batteries Jenax, a developer of ultra-flexible, thin lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, announced mid-December a breakthrough in lithium battery safety through the introduction of non-flammable liquid electrolytes. Jenax says when this technology is incorporated into its battery cells, Jenax can dramatically increase the safety of wearables and other products that come in close contact with people, including those in electric vehicles, while ensuring high battery performance. “Liquid is the best conductor for ionic movement, which means it delivers the best battery performance. But because liquid can also be a tremendous fire hazard, many manufacturers try to use solid state electrolyte instead. They sacrifice efficiency and — in the case of wearables — comfort and usability, for safety,” said EJ Shin, director of Jenax. Once its non-flammable liquid electrolyte is incorporated into Jenax batteries, the company will offer hardware designers and manufacturers the ability to use liquid or gel polymer-based batteries. Gel-based batteries are also suitable for wearables, particularly where puncturing may be an issue as there is no leakage.

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Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 33

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NEWS — PROJECTS

Upside Group switches on latest 25MWh lead carbon battery system Energy storage firm Upside Group fired up its latest lead carbon battery storage system on October 29, this time a 25 MWh facility in Groitzsch, Germany, 80km from its identical 15MW/25MWh facility at Langenreichenbach that was installed in 2018. The two facilities, which provide frequency regulation for the grid, are either side of the city of Leipzig, in the eastern state of Saxony, and permission has just been granted for a 16MW lead carbon facility to be commissioned early in 2020 in the state. The batteries were supplied by Chinese battery giant Narada, with which

Upside has a joint venture, and 10,584 of them are fitted to the roof of 18 40-foot-high containers. The company says they can store enough power to supply all the households in the nearby Groitzsch community for eight days. “The aim of this large storage facility is to stabilize the frequency in the power grid and thus the creation of a basic prereq-

uisite for reliable energy supply,” said Marc Reimer, managing director of Upside Invest. “We tested other technologies in our first two installations before (lead acid, lithium ion) and found out that lead carbon is for our requirements a perfect fit… big capacity at reasonable pricing, low maintenance, no fire risk and high residual value.

Saft installs mini-storage systems in Australian outback Remote communities in Australia have had 20 Saft lithium-ion energy storage systems installed at sites operated by the Ergon Energy Network, Saft Batteries announced on October 22. It is the first ESS deployment by Saft in Australia. The Saft Intensium Mini

energy storage systems are specifically for outdoor energy storage in applications such as renewable integration, industrial and commercial installations, utilities and microgrids. Each system is made up of 56 Synerion modules for applications ranging from

80kWh to 480kWh of energy capacity and from 240kw to 1720kW of power. They charge up when demand is low and inject power to the grid at peak times. The systems are being incorporated with Ergon Energy’s Grid Utility Support System (GUSS), which oper-

Sungrow-Samsung SDI sign up to supply solar+storage system in Massachusetts Inverter and energy storage supplier Sungrow on October 8 signed its latest contract to supply a fully integrated solar plus storage system to a project in Massachusetts. The 12MW/32MWh ESS will be supplied under the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target Program (SMART), which was set up to support the development of solar energy in the state. This is a tariff-based incentive paid directly by the utility company to the system owner following approvals. It will be deployed across five distribution grid-connected sites and should be commissioned in the second quarter of 2020.

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Sungrow’s ST4200KWh-2000 storage system uses lithium-ion batteries by Samsung SDI, as well as an energy management system, local controller and HVAC in a 40 foot container that allows onsite installation and a unified control capability. It will be operated by the US energy firm Stem, which is owned by New York-based private equity firm Syncarpha Capital. “We felt strongly about Sungrow Samsung SDI’s product offering, especially with the fully integrated concept, which really helped us reduce the levelized cost of energy and operational costs,” said John Carrington, CEO of Stem.

“Our systems are already in operation day and night and support the European grid frequency several hundred thousand times a year.” The company said grid stabilization had become an urgent need, with mains frequency ‘repeatedly coming into regions endangering the power grid for several months. “On January 10 the frequency dropped so sharply that the critical 49.8Hz mark was reached at the lowest point,” the company said. “With only one mHz less, serious measures would have had to be taken to prevent a major network disruption.” ates using Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) networks — low-cost single-wire transmission lines suited for supplying power to remote areas where loads are small and spread over a wide area. “The growth in demand, together with load types ranging from typical domestic loads to intense farming loads, means that many of Ergon Energy Network’s SWER feeders are now subject to capacity and voltage constraints,” says Saft. “This is an increasingly significant issue as customers are now growing their use of sensitive electronic equipment. The Saft Intensium Mini in each GUSS unit stores energy when spare capacity is available and returns it to the network at times of peak demand.” Saft’s Intensium Mini systems are designed to operate in harsher conditions such as the Australian outback, where temperatures can range between 0°C and 45°C. The units were manufactured in Saft’s Li-ion factory in Florida, US, the company says.

Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 37

NEWS — PROJECTS

Iberdrola rolls out first storage systems for distribution networks in Spain Spanish utility firm Iberdrola has launched the first energy storage system with lithium ion batteries for distribution networks in the country, the utility said on November 25. The 3MWh storage system, by Iberdrola’s distribution arm i-DE, will store solar power to provide up to five hours of back-up in the event of outages in the municipal district of Caravaca de la Cruz, in Murcia. The smart system is able

to select which particular network needs back-up and then operate in isolation from the grid. Several large PV plants in Caravaca de la Cruz upload electricity to the grid during hours of sunlight. “The battery is able to adjust the voltage to the appropriate values and be ready to intervene as a second source of power supply in the event of a power failure,” the utility said. “To achieve this, it has a

smart storage system that is able to assess the situation and decide which part of the network will remain in operation from the battery, taking into account actual consumption at that time, the generation capacity of photovoltaic plants nearby and the state of charge of the battery, among other aspects.” Iberdrola believes storage systems are key to addressing the challenges of the energy transition and will

UK’s Harmony Energy to install two 49.5MW battery installations UK energy storage firm Harmony Energy has been granted planning permission for a second 49.5MW battery storage system alongside an identical one to be built as a separate project on the same site at Creyke Beck substation, near Hull. The batteries will be connected to the substation and store power generated by the 2.4GW Dogger Bank wind farm off the east coast of England. The batteries will provide grid-balancing services and will begin operation in 1824 months’ time. Harmony Energy has a large pipeline of projects of utility scale, with its first 15MWh battery installation in Poole, Dorset, to begin imminently, with the turnon expected at the beginning of March. “Two thirds of the power from Dogger Bank will come into Creyke Bank,” said Alex Thorton, technical director at Harmony Energy. “I’ve been working in the sector for three and a half years and until now batteries have always been something that’s going to happen in the future. “We now see large bat-

teries like these playing an increasingly important role in decarbonizing and balancing the grid, as more and more intermittent renewables such as wind and solar assets come online while simultaneously traditional coal-fired power plants are retired. “Lithium is the best technology for these, it’s proven technology and each individual cell can be monitored

and isolated if there is a problem. “But we are technology agnostic, and advise customers on the best technology according to their need. Flow batteries, for instance, are going to be a very big technology in the future — the capital outlay may be higher than lithium but they have such long duration.” In September, Harmony

become an essential part of the whole power distribution network. “This is because they allow the quality of the electricity supply to be improved, ensuring the stability and reliability of the network and integrating and harnessing the energy generated by renewable sources,” the company said. Iberdrola operates 270,000km of power lines in Spain, and serves a population of 17 million. Energy appointed Vijay Shinde, who has 20 years’ experience in the energy storage sector, as chief technical officer alongside the company’s drive to grow its battery storage capabilities for wind and solar storage projects, the firm said. “Harmony has more than 500MW of battery energy storage assets constructionready with another 200MW in planning, representing a significant pipeline of development at a critical time for the UK’s energy supply,” Shinde said.

Hornsdale to double capacity of Tesla battery in South Australia The Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia is to be doubled in capacity, providing the first Australian large-scale demonstration of battery storage, owner Neoen announced on November 19. French renewable energy producer Neoen, the South Australian government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation have agreed to expand the ‘Tesla Big Battery’ capacity by 50MW/64.5MWh to boost reliability and cost savings to customers — which the firms say amounted to A$50 million ($34 million) in its first year of operation. “The site will be the first grid-scale battery in Australia to provide inertia benefits to the National Electricity Market facilitating the transition towards a high-penetra-

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tion renewable grid,” Neoen said. “The delivery of additional Tesla Powerpacks strengthens Neoen’s Hornsdale Power Reserve’s position as the largest battery in the world.” “This will ensure South Australia can continue to harvest its world-class wind and solar resources and achieve its target of being net 100% renewable by 2030. “It will also see the state transition to becoming a net exporter of cheap and clean energy to the NEM (National Electricity Market) and further drive down electricity prices for all consumers.” The Hornsdale Power Reserve will be upgraded with Tesla’s Virtual Machine Mode, which allows power inverters to emulate the existing inertia services being supplied by an ageing fleet of fossil fuel power plants.

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NEWS — PROJECTS

Salt River Project to build largest solar+storage installation in Arizona Water and energy utility Salt River Project will build the largest solar-plusstorage installation in the US state of Arizona, SRP announced on November 14. The installation’s two plants will generate enough energy combined to power 100,000 homes, SRP said, and should be operating by June 2023. The first plant, the Sonoran Energy Center, will consist of a 250MW solar array charging a 1GWh energy storage system in Little Rainbow Valley. The second, the Storey Energy Center, will be an 88MW solar and energy storage system just south of Coolidge. SRP says the project will

make it one of the largest investors in energy storage in the country. The November closure of the coal Navajo Generating Station in the state has raised questions about the extent to which SRP, which owned almost half of the station, will be able to meet energy demand with renewables. But SRP insisted the utility “was well on its way to achieving these goals while continuing to aggressively pursue renewable generation. “These integrated solar and storage plants will allow SRP to meet its summer peak demand, reduce carbon emissions while optimizing energy output using state-of-the-art bat-

tery technology,” said SRP general manager and CEO Mike Hummel.

NextEra Energy Resources will own and operate the two plants.

The Salt River Project is the umbrella name for two separate entities: the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, an agency of the state of Arizona that serves as an electrical utility for the Phoenix metropolitan area, and the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association.

Gold mining firms install solar+storage at African mines Gold mining firm Nordgold said on October 22 it had formed a consortium to build a 13MW solar power plant with battery storage to provide 100% of the energy needs for its two gold mines in Burkina Faso.

The consortium is made up of Nordgold, which owns 90% of the Bissa and Bouly gold mines, independent power producer Total Eren and the Africa Energy Management Platform, a finance and development company that

Nordgold CEO Nikolai Zelenski

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specializes in renewable and hybrid energy plants for mining and industrial projects across Africa. Total Eren, a subsidiary of Eren Group, works in partnership with local leaders to develop electric power plants. The mines, which are 5km apart, produced 7,476 kt of rock in 2016, 3,000 kt more than in 2015. Of that, just one or two grams of gold per tonne are likely to have been extracted, which makes gold mining one of the most extravagant industries in the world. Adding the solar plant should result in lower costs, says Nordgold CEO Nikolai Zelenski. “By building this new solar plant, we improve the efficiency of our mines by creating a more secure power supply at lower

cost, but we are also helping to make our Burkina Faso mines far more sustainable, while minimizing our carbon footprint,” he said. “ The installation of a solar power plant at Bissa and Bouly, Nordgold’s key assets in terms of production, is in line with our strategy of implementing the best environmental standards across our operations.” Nordgold is operating the mines under a 10-year contract that is due to end in 2027. It is not the only gold mine in Africa to install a solar power plant to reduce operating costs. B2Gold, a Canadian gold mining company, said it would complete a 30MW solar plus storage system at its mine in Mali for the third quarter of 2020.

Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 39

NEWS — PROJECTS

Duke Energy Carolinas installs first battery system in South Carolina Duke Energy Carolinas, the US utility company, has partnered Anderson County in South Carolina to install battery storage as part of its parent company Duke Energy’s $500 million investment in battery technology over six states in the next 15 years. Duke Energy has operations in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Florida and the two Carolinas. The 5MW lithium-ion battery storage project is

the first of its kind in the state, and will be grid-tied and available to Duke Energy Carolinas’ operators, helping them to improve grid stability during peak periods. This project will provide 30 hours of back-up to the Anderson Civic Center, an entertainment complex and park which is sometimes used as an emergency shelter when the region is hit by hurricanes and cyclones. The state is particular-

ly vulnerable to tropical storms, the last one being Hurricane Dorian in September, which wiped out much of the Bahamas before arriving in South Carolina, where a state of emergency was declared for the whole state. “Anderson County depends greatly on reliable power at the Civic Center, especially while it’s operating as an emergency shelter,” said Anderson County Council chairman Tommy

Dunn. “Power is critical at the center, when our facility is being used as a command post for service providers and shelter to citizens who have been displaced. Michael Callahan, president of Duke Energy’s operations in South Carolina said: “Through projects like this, we’re transforming the state’s infrastructure to support the two-way flow of electricity and improve reliability for our customers.”

EDF signs agreement to supply energy and storage to new UK theme park EDF Energy has signed a deal to supply a huge entertainment theme park in the UK with all the energy it will need from onsite renewable energy generation and battery storage, the firm announced on October 22. No details of the battery storage were given, and the firms only mentioned solar panels as the source of power. External communications manager Antoinette Merchant, of EDF, said initial assessments and auditing work were underway so exact details could not be released at this stage. The multi-billion-pound London Resort, to be built on a seven million square metre piece of land on the banks of the River Thames in the county of Kent, will include fairground rides, thousands of hotel rooms and dining facilities in what will be the largest entertainment district in Europe. It will create thousands of jobs. It will also contain EV charging points and is being touted by EDF as ‘one of the most sustainable major theme park destinations in the world’, and is believed to be a first for the tourism industry.

Under a 25-year contract, EDF will build, own and operate the energy generation and storage facilities for the park. “This opportunity is unlike anything else being developed and this gives us scope to do something new with the latest technologies available,” said Vincent de Rul, director of Energy Solutions at EDF Energy. Construction of the theme park will begin in 2021 and it should open to visitors in 2024.

First for the Balkans as Slovenia adds grid-scale battery system Slovenia has become the first country in the Balkans to install a grid-scale battery storage unit in what is Tesla Energy’s largest installation in Europe, Tesla said on October 17. Slovenia-based energy system solutions firm NGEN has deployed the 12.6MW/22MWh Tesla Powerpack system at a cost of $16.5 million in the first of many projects by NGEN aiming at providing automated grid-balancing services for customers. It has been installed in the small town of Jesenice, in northwest Slovenia, and the company has plans to build a second one next year. Tesla is hailing the installation as a sign of the company’s “ever growing presence

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of energy storage systems across the globe. “The value of grid stability, demand shifting and back-up energy solutions have become more realized across the world, including projects in Nova Scotia, Japan and Australia, among others,” the company said. NGEN works on a virtual power plant model, pooling production, storage and consumption units. Tesla’s Powerpack system’s modular design means it can be scaled up or down between 100kWh and 100MWh. Each pack contains 16 individual battery pods. Separately, Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk, announced on November 13 that Berlin will be the site of its first major European factory.

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PROFILE: DONG LI, LEOCH BATTERY

rom a start-up turnover in the tens of thousands of dollars to revenues of some $1.5 billion last year is quite an achievement for anyone. And to do it in just 20 years makes this story of China’s, Leoch Battery, and its founder Dong Li, seem more like a story from Silicon Valley than a lead battery firm that has become one of the largest in the country. The ‘Leoch’ name is a combination of the word ‘Leo’ for lion and ‘Ch’ for champion, the name having an international flavour, says Dong Li. Kicking it off with an investment of just Rmb2 million in 1999 (then around $240,000), the company has more or less doubled its revenue every subsequent year for the first five years. It was $1 million in year one, $2 million in year two, $4 million in year three, $7 million in year four and in year five reached $15 million. Last year, in its 20th year, the company brought in $1.5 billion, Dong Li says. It’s now the fourth or fifth largest lead battery maker in China, and tops, or comes near the top. in many areas of global lead battery supply. Dong Li says it was the top global supplier of network power batteries and telecoms batteries in the first half of 2019; in automotive and UPS exports it came second; and in all other major areas of supply, such as SLI and motorcycle, E bike, EV, railway and aftermarket batteries, Leoch was one of the top three or four Chinese companies. It has plants in the UK, US, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Singapore, India, Australia, Sri Lanka, Turkey and South Africa, and employs 11,000 people. But in the beginning, it wasn’t even batteries that Dong Li was interested in.

Championing the case for lead — but now lithium too Dong Li, chairman and founder of Chinese battery giant Leoch, spoke to Debbie Mason in London this October about the rise and rise of his firm — and the way ahead for the industry.

Roots

As so many stories out of China begin, this one also has its roots in the pastoral past. Most people lived in the poor countryside and had to endure the turmoil of Mao Zedong and his Great Leap Forward, followed by the decade-long Cultural Revolution, which only ended in 1976 when chairman Mao died. “Everybody was ordinary,” says Dong Li. “My mother was a teacher and my father worked for a trade union. No one had any money, no one worked for a private company — in those days you would ask what unit someone worked in, not which company.

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PROFILE: DONG LI, LEOCH BATTERY “We plan to become a battery company with two arms. Our lead arm will always be bigger, but we do have a plan to open a factory in Anhui Province to make 4GW of lithium batteries a year for three applications: telecoms, data centres and networks; starter batteries and motorcycles; and motive, slow-speed EVs and traction applications.”

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Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 43

PROFILE: DONG LI, LEOCH BATTERY THE CHINESE RACE TO WORLD LEADERSHIP

Shenzhen had a population of just 52,000 in 1979, 40 years later it stands at just over 12 million roughly half as big again as the head count for London or New York City.

Since communist China’s first Five-Year Plan (1953-1957) began its mass movement towards industrialization, huge tranches of the country have been completely transformed from its original agrarian roots. By the end of this first plan, official statistics claimed the country’s GDP had climbed by 57% since 1952 to Rmb107 billion ($15 billion). But this was just the first tiny step before the gigantic leap that began in earnest with premier Deng Xiaoping’s opening-up reforms in 1978, which set the country on the path towards building the economy into today’s global giant. Between 1978 and 2017, China hit an annual average growth of 9.5%, more than three times the world’s average. By 2017, GDP exceeded Rmb80 trillion ($11.5 trillion), the country’s National Bureau of Statistics says. That massive growth couldn’t be sustained forever, but according to the NBS it’s still strong, running at an average of 6% a year. The 1980s’ burgeoning of factories in southern provinces like Guangdong was the engine driving this enormous growth, and in that first five-year plan alone, secondary industry replaced primary industry as the largest contributor to GDP, accounting for 44% in 1960 from 21% in 1952, the NBS reckons. The growing manufacturing industry also gave birth to China’s lead acid battery behemoths, such as Camel in 1980, Tianneng, in 1986, and Narada a bit later, in 1994. And Leoch in 1999.

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“Life was changing in the south and in 1992 it inspired me to move to Shenzhen, where I began to work in a textiles factory.” “We all had to survive on ordinary food — each person had a ration coupon for 100 grams of meat per month, which meant our family had to make do with 600 grams a month. “But this is why I believe today the Chinese view on hardship is that you can ‘make do’. We are good at managing on limited resources, we are used to having to do without, and for this reason things like the US trade war will not matter to China.” Born in 1966, Dong says his childhood was no different from anyone else’s and in 1984 he went off to the former Chinese capital city of Xi’an, the home of the famous terracotta army, where he attended the North-

west Textile University and got his first degree. “I then went to the foreign languages university to get a degree in English, and at the same time taught at the Textiles University,” he said. It was here that he gained respect for the UK’s wool manufacturing industry and found out about the universities of Leeds and Manchester, which taught their textiles courses using textbooks that he later used to teach his own students. A teaching career was considered a good one, but Dong, with his 60 yuan ($8.50) a month pay packet, which doubled in the second year, had bigger ambitions.

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PROFILE: DONG LI, LEOCH BATTERY “I always thought I needed to make more,” he says. “I could see my destiny and always wondered what my apartment would look like when I was older — surely better than the dormitory I lived in, with three of us per room, shared bathroom facilities and the freezing cold winters and sweltering hot summers, with no heating in the winter and no air conditioning in the summer.” Nowhere in China was poorer than

the southern regions, which would later boom as a result of what became known as China’s second industrial revolution. At this time, people in the south were looked down upon, Dong says. “They were so poor — they couldn’t even afford decent shoes and just wore cloth slippers. They had no spare coats or trousers, they had to wash them and wait for them to dry because they didn’t have a spare set.

“Then suddenly, in 1988, as I was graduating, the economy boomed — and they started wearing Nike trainers and jeans. We couldn’t believe it — before, the girls at our university wouldn’t look at us because they were so poor — but now they weren’t looking at us, they were looking at Cantonese boys. “Life was changing in the south and in 1992 it inspired me to move to Shenzhen, where I began to work in a textiles factory.” It was during this second industrial revolution in the 1980s that China became the world’s largest producer and exporter of textiles, the largest producer and importer of cotton and the largest producer and exporter of furniture and toys. Dong Li began in the textile factory as a supervisor. His living conditions were still basic and he was working for 18 hours a day. He says he learned Cantonese practically in his sleep, with the television blaring out soap operas in Cantonese that somehow seeped into his brain while he was unconscious. “I told my boss I would be able to speak Cantonese within three months or I’d leave. After one month I could understand it and after two I was beginning to speak it,” he says. “My pay went up to HK$1,000 ($130) a month, then after three months it went up by another HK$500.”

Batteries beckon

“We started to realize the battery business had a future. At the time we had no strategy at all, but the buying power in that sector was already much better than it was in the clothing industry. So with no plan, we spent Rmb30,000 ($4,300) on a small domestic battery trading company.”

46 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

While Dong Li was spending 18 hours a day in his textile factory, his brother had found work in the battery industry in the north of China. “We started to realize the battery business had a future,” Dong Li says. “At the time we had no strategy at all, but the buying power in that sector was already much better than it was in the clothing industry. So with no plan, we spent Rmb30,000 ($4,300) on a small domestic battery trading company.” By 1994 the two brothers — Dong Li’s brother is now Leoch’s chief technology officer — had made enough money to set up a battery assembly company, at a cost of Rmb200,000 ($28,500). They hired eight staff. “But in China image is very important, and when Chinese businessmen came to see our factory, they saw how unimpressive it was and refused to buy our batteries,” he says. “This is

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PROFILE: DONG LI, LEOCH BATTERY LEOCH INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

Leoch International says it began operation and delivery of lead acid batteries from its two Vietnam manufacturing plants in the second half of 2019,. Investor relations director Joyce Lam said the two factories would more than double the company’s total overseas production capacity as it looks to further its business expansion in abroad. “With the new plants, we will be able to offer our overseas customers the most cost-effective battery solutions by eliminating market uncertainties such as trade barriers and fluctuations of raw material prices in the People’s Republic. “In addition, the released production capacity in our Chinese plants will serve to support growing demand in the domestic market.” Stricter regulations and higher labour costs have caused a trend of Chinese companies opening manufacturing facilities in its neighbouring Asian countries in recent years. The company has also expanded its reach into Europe, with the addition of DBS Leoch (formed in January 2019) from a restructuring of DBS Energy) in the UK, Leoch Nordeuropa in Germany, Leoch Italia and Leoch France.

48 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

when we realized that selling overseas would be the way to get around that — so we started selling them to countries such as Egypt, the Middle East and Thailand.” The export business worked, and the rest is history. Leoch now operates a total of 105 production and testing lines around the world, in factories that cover an area of more than 1 million square metres. The company also has three dedicated R&D centres in Guangdong, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, and a small lead battery recycling facility in Anhui. And when it comes to exports, while supplying major proportions of the world’s demand, Leoch sells 85% of its batteries in China. Of the 15% going abroad, just 20% goes to the US — another reason, Dong Li says, for Leoch not to worry about trade spats. This is why the company is concentrating on developing other technologies rather than its declining trade with rival economies.

And lithium too

Dong Li is confident that lead will maintain its position of supremacy in energy storage despite the growing competition from other chemistries, especially lithium ion. But he recognizes that lithium should not be ignored. “Lithium will take a lot of market share but it will not kill lead because of cost and recycling issues,” he says. “The environment, safety and lithium resources will all create problems that lead batteries don’t have. “We plan to become a battery company with two arms. Our lead arm will always be bigger, but we do have a plan to open a factory in Anhui Province to make 4GW of lithium batteries a year for three applications: telecoms, data centres and networks; starter batteries and motorcycles; and motive, slow-speed EVs and traction applications.” The company is also considering a lithium battery recycling plant — “but the technology is still not very mature, and we need better technology and government permission first,” he says. But while Leoch does intend to bring lithium on board as one arm of its business, what it seems more intent on is doing is competing with it in the form of bipolar technology, in which it has already invested with bipolar firm Gridtential.

Leoch’s factory in Zhaoqing

“Bipolar is challenging but it’s moving,” Dong Li says. “The technology is there, and we are trying to commercialize it in China — for EVs, hybrids and data centres.” Leoch has joined battery firms Power-Sonic, Crown Battery and East Penn Manufacturing, and venture capital and investment firms 1955 Capital and The Roda Group, in investing in Gridtential’s Silicon Joule technology. The bipolar battery firm says it rivals lithium technology with benefits such as longer cycle life and greater energy and power density, yet maintains the cost, safety and recycling advantages of lead batteries.

Longer term

According to Dong Li, the global market for lead acid batteries is $45 billion a year. By 2025, it will have reached $50 billion, he believes. Lithium is going to grow much faster, currently $30 billion and more than trebling to $100 billion by 2025, he says. “But there are other markets for lead with bipolar,” he says. “In the next 1520 years, bipolar will be made for hybrids, and 48V is the future. We will also be seeing bipolar in networks, starting and motive applications. “Step by step we want to do something for the industry and its people, the community and the world. A gangster will try to make money by whatever means he can, but we believe it’s better to drive a steady, healthy, strategic business. “We want to be an organization with a strategy that we drive forward towards a specific target without the distraction of short-term gain over longer term goals. “Our biggest competitor is ourselves. We have to keep improving, we have to keep a broad product range so we remain apart from the others, and we have to find the best processes to keep it all going and maintain the value of our supply.”

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LEAD AND THE GRID International Lead Award winner Frank Fleming spoke to Batteries International about a project in Missouri that demonstrates how using lead batteries at petrol stations to recharge electric vehicles instead of getting power directly from the grid is an economical option.

Rolling out lead batteries

— to charge lithium ones

The advantages of lead versus lithium are well known — primarily price, thermal stability and recyclability. But in a marketplace obsessed with lithium, it’s rare that the advantages of lead get a good hearing. A recent feasibility study run by the Consortium for Battery Innovation (formerly ALABC) has shown that lead batteries can provide the fast charging required by EVs. And do this without having to suck large amounts of power out of the grid in short bursts — avoiding peak demand charges which can add huge costs for

irregular electricity users — and in an more economical fashion than lithium batteries. “CBI received a grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development Division of Energy last June, with funding provided by the US Department of Energy. Since then, with business consulting firm Paragon Business Solutions and EAI Grid Storage, a spin-off from Phoenix, Arizona-based electrics testing firm Electric Applications Incorporated, on board, the design for one gas station is complete.

As level 3 chargers push power higher and higher, there is going to have to be a buffer between the chargers and the grid, otherwise there is going to be excessive demand. 50 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

A further eight gas stations earmarked for lead battery installations that will enable electric vehicles to recharge directly from them rather than the grid. This will be possible because the lead batteries will be on charge 24 hours a day in a controlled way so they are always ready to discharge power to EVs that come into the gas station. Frank Fleming heads up EAI Grid Storage along with EAI president Don Karner and Jay Lohrbach, former manager — generation projects at City Utilities, in Springfield, Missouri. Fleming, who co-founded NorthStar Battery 18 years ago, worked with Lohrbach to install his own designed Blue+ thin plate pure lead batteries in Springfield for the City Utilities in November 2017. The batteries are still in place, providing grid support such as peak shift-

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LEAD AND THE GRID ing for City Utilities customers in the southwest region of the town. “When I left NorthStar [which has now been bought by EnerSys], Jay, Don Karner and I saw the opportunity to bring a new company together, EAI Grid Storage, whose function is to sit in between battery companies and end users and help integrate and design energy storage systems based on lead batteries,” says Fleming. “My background is lead acid and I have a great loyalty for the technology, but more importantly I feel that lead ticks a lot of the boxes for energy storage. For one thing, stationery energy storage is not concerned with weight, but also lithium ion — which is a wonderful technology — is going to be completely and utterly absorbed by the emerging EV market. “A lot of the world’s production of Li ion cells will be cornered by the emerging EV market. For lead batteries that market’s completely out. However what is critical is how we’re going to re-charge all of these EVs off the grid. More than that, we want to charge quickly — fast charging is critical — because people don’t want to stand around waiting for their EV to charge up. “As level 3 chargers push power higher and higher, there is going to have to be a buffer between the chargers and the grid, otherwise there is going to be excessive demand. This system places the lead acid batteries very nicely between the grid and the EV charging. They sit on charge 24 hours a day and take the energy off the grid at a controlled rate below the excessive demand rate. “When the EV pulls into the gas station to be recharged it gets its power from the lead battery and not the grid. Lead batteries are extremely capable of fast re-charge and can give us the recharging times we need.” Fleming says a system has been designed for one particular gas station, with another eight identified as contenders for similar systems. But at the moment the scale is small. “To recharge six EVs in a day, reasonably spread out, we’d be looking at around 200kWh of lead batteries,” says Fleming. “That’s basically a 10ft x 10ft x 8ft housing, which is not a large volume. But that’s using today’s current technology, so with the progress of lead batteries we can see that volume being reduced. It’s also very modular. “If you go up to 12 EVs you wouldn’t have to change the power electronics,

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“My background is lead acid and I have a great loyalty for the technology, but more importantly I feel that lead ticks a lot of the boxes for energy storage” — Frank Fleming you would just have to add additional batteries, and if the throughput of EVs through gas stations increases, we simply add another container of batteries. “Level 3 chargers are limited to about 100kW, so a typical EV that comes in at a 20% state of charge can probably get up to 80% in 10 to 15 minutes, which in a gas station is perfect, allowing the driver to utilize the concessions.”

Saving the utility costs

Jay Lohrbach says the work being done at EAI Grid Storage will ultimately look at more than energy storage for electric vehicles. “From the utility perspective, the expensive power is that which we have to provide for a peak service or when the user demand is highest,” says Lohrbach. “So if it’s the hottest or coldest day of the year when everyone’s at home using their air conditioners or heaters, they are the most expensive times and I have to build my utility around those peak demands.

“What energy storage does is give the utilities and end users the opportunity to schedule those peaks and clip off the top of those periods. Simply put, if I can somehow delay that peak to a time when other users aren’t using their power, it saves both the utility and the end user money. That’s the sort of thing — the scheduling — that energy storage allows me to do. “It means that when several cars come in to charge at the same time, as a gas station manager if I can avoid even a portion of that for the period of time during the utility peak then I’ve essentially performed the function that avoids that utility having to buy extra generation and transmission distribution resources to get that energy to me, saving me and them money. That’s at the highest level of what energy storage systems can do for the utility’s grid.” “The end user for an energy storage system wants to go and buy everything in a turnkey sort of manner, but there’s no one there to do that with,” says Fleming. “The battery companies want to make batteries, they’re not experts in integrating everything together, so there’s a vacuum, where someone with knowledge of both the end user and the battery side can exploit it and help both the battery company and the end customer — that’s what we’re trying to do.” While the initial concept is for individual gas stations to install battery storage as the use of EVs increases, the partners envisage a scene where several gas stations collaborate to set up one storage system at the distribution centre, avoiding that centre from experiencing peak periods. “There’s not enough co-ordination between what’s going on at a utility or user level but with the advent of the time-of-use rate and the higher incorporation of intermittent resources such as wind and solar, that integration between load and supply will inevitably get more closely knit over the next decade or so. While that happens we will definitely see implementation

“The battery companies want to make batteries, they’re not experts in integrating everything together, so there’s a vacuum, where someone with knowledge of both the end user and the battery side can exploit it and help both the battery company and the end customer — that’s what we’re trying to do.” Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 51

LEAD AND THE GRID CONSORTIUM WORKING WITH ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY Frank Fleming and EAI Grid Storage are part of a consortium of lead battery scientists and companies working with the Argonne National Laboratory to investigate the deeper properties of lead chemistry. Three years ago, RSR and East Penn formed an agreement with the ANL, and since then the agreement has been extended to continue looking at lead batteries with ANL’s real-time X-ray technology, the synchrotron photosource. Tests being carried out investigate the fundamental transport processes in lead batteries, using a variety of characterization techniques under controlled electrochemical conditions. It involves the fabrication of model electrodes and the use of highenergy X-ray techniques, highresolution three-dimensional imaging and other technologies.

“Our goal is to use the advanced technologies and scientists that the ANL has available to look at the fundamentals of lead acid, not the applications but the very, very pure science,” says Fleming. “We’re able to see a greater resolution of what’s going on at the electrodes, and we want to take the current programme and advance it with other programmes. We are proposing that we have additional programmes in future that look at the form factor of the battery, for example. “We know that bipolar is clearly the way to go — so can the government help us to develop bipolar and make it into a more viable solution?” Lithium, says Fleming, only works because of the clever and sophisticated electronics around it — and if the same sort of electronics could be applied to lead, he believes

the longevity and performance of lead batteries could be enhanced. Similarly, where lithium has had the benefit of the ANL’s equipment to examine and analyze it, until the consortium was launched, lead had not been investigated in the same way. “We’ve known for years that the core limitation is the utilization of lead inside the batteries,” said RSR Technologies president Tim Ellis when the consortium was launched. “Lead-based technology has significant unused performance potential that can be tapped by improving active material utilization inside the battery. The lead battery industry has not had enough access to the right analytic tools to thoroughly investigate this phenomenon. Using Argonne’s technical facilities means we can hopefully uncover what has been unknown for many years.”

Front row: Matt Raiford, CBI; Tim Vargo, Exide Technologies; Kevin Moran, BCI; Tim Ellis, RSR Technologies; Jon Anderson, C&D. Second row: Ed Shaffer and Reed Shick, Advanced Battery Concepts; Hal Hawk, Crown Battery; Chris Pruitt, East Penn Manufacturing. Third row: Jerry Pyatt and Steve Betts, The Doe Run Company; John Howes, Redland Energy; Alistair Davidson, CBI; Dave Shaffer, EnerSys; Ray Kubis, Gridtential; Howard Meyers, RSR Technologies; Terry Murphy, Hammond; AJ Williams, RSR Technologies; and Jim Pedersen, Teck Resources. (Not shown: Dan Breidegam, East Penn and David Mihara, Microporous)

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Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 53

LEAD AND THE GRID of forward-looking resources like energy storage and other demand solutions from the utility,” says Lohrbach. It needs at least five gas stations, which Fleming says Paragon is trying to identify. Angela Rolufs, vice president for strategic energy initiatives at Paragon, presented the project to delegates at the 18th Asian Battery Conference in Bali, Indonesia this September. Rolufs directs resiliency planning and energy technology consulting services. The next step is to decide which particular lead acid battery technology to use, with many options available, from typical AGM to advanced AGM technology, carbon negative batteries to traction batteries as in forklift trucks, and bipolar technology – which Fleming says addresses the question of how to increase energy density. “Bipolar can double density, so instead of a 10x10x20 container it could be half that bulk,” he says. “But we need to understand how each technology performs before we decide which is the best for the future.”

“In the US there are several thousand smaller utilities that want to take advantage of storage instead of laying out new distribution or transmission lines and an energy storage unit in a small town would certainly be very beneficial. But the lithium guys aren’t perhaps aware of those opportunities and we as the lead industry should take advantage of that.”

For utilities such as City Utilities, it’s not just about providing recharging facilities for EVs to avoid using the grid. “EVs coming in is going to put demand on our resources but there’s another side to this,” says Lohrbach. “With the incorporation of all these renewables, solar, wind, waves — the challenge becomes the fact that they’re intermittent. That creates real challenges for the grid. They’re great resources and providers of megawatts but they introduce some challenges that fossil fuels didn’t. “Although we have all these renewa-

bles, we still have to have some fossil fuel plant running somewhere to take up the slack if the wind stops blowing or the sky clouds over. They are burning fuel all the time and wasting energy, causing pollution, and this is where batteries will provide the additional buffer. “In the mid-west last April there was a period when 70% of the energy consumed in the whole midwestern region was generated by wind and solar. It that had gone down for some reason it wouldn’t have been a good day. We need something to fill the gap when it goes away for 10 seconds and that’s where energy storage comes in.” “We have this Missouri opportunity, we have a couple of international opportunities, and locally we’ve had customers approaching us wanting to demonstrate their concerns and for us to design energy storage systems,” says Fleming. “We want to get the ball rolling and make people understand that it’s a technology that can work and meet these requirements.” And this, he says, is where lithium has failed to fill the gap. “The lithium energy storage approach has always been on very big systems indeed – frequency regulation, the very big 10MWh battery applications,” he

Angela Rolufs, vice president for strategic energy initiatives at Paragon Business Solutions, part of the team putting the plan together

Part of Rolufs’ recent presentation showing the business case for EV charging using lead batteries

New opportunities for lead

54 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

says. “But these lithium BESS suppliers are perhaps not fully aware of the smaller customers. “In the US there are several thousand smaller utilities, such as munis and coops that may want to take advantage of storage instead of laying out new distribution or transmission lines and an energy storage unit in a small town would certainly be very beneficial. But the larger lithium guys aren’t perhaps aware of those opportunities and we as the lead industry should take advantage of that. “To have a fast EV charging station between two big cities is going to cost an awful lot of money to lay out the transmission lines, so putting in a storage system in lieu of the transmission lines is by far a cheaper and more costeffective way of doing this.” It’s time to get lead battery technology back to the forefront, Fleming says. “We’ve never really promoted it, we’ve just relied on traditional markets to keep the factories open. Now we’ve got a brand new market, a clean sheet of paper to design the right battery for this application, and if we educate people that we’ve got a 99.6% recycling infrastructure in developed countries, it’s a huge opportunity waiting to be realised.”

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2020 VISION: THE WAY FORWARD

For years the battery business has been hearing about the imminent arrival of a promised land of cheap renewable energy: a time where its concomitant — mass electrical storage — will be essential. Perhaps, just perhaps, the hype is over and 2020 will be the year of deliverables for all battery chemistries.

The tipping point arrives — well maybe … M arket talk is that a tipping point has arrived, or is just about to arrive, when large scale energy storage will become a mass market for batteries. And not just for the lithium ones despite the profusion of giga-factories being built around the world. Two factors bode well for the battery business in 2020. The media obsession with decarbonization is the first. Public hysteria —rightly or wrongly about the subject of global warming — over the mounting levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere looks as if it is finally causing the politicians to do something. Burning coal, oil or natural gas releases CO2 and is therefore a Bad Thing. The ecology movement has largely discredited nuclear power as an alternative (wrongly) to the public mind as well. The only alternative is a massive shift to renewables. And, of course

56 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

with renewables comes the issue of intermittency making energy storage vital for the times when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun not shining. As governments around the world move into action energy storage will — and is — coming to the top of the agenda. The second factor is the price of renewable energy, which over the last two years is now — at least mostly — a viable alternative in terms of the cost of generation. Being cheaper means that the magic mix of renewable generation and battery storage becomes more affordable. Commercial projects around the world have leapt from replacing diesel power in remote locations — an economic leap not hard to calculate — to becoming mainstream installations in the US and Europe. But, as this year’s annual review of the expectations of a sample variety of firms across the energy storage spectrum shows, optimism is a recurrent theme for all chemistries.

In some ways it’s not hard to see why. At its most simplistic for lead is its potential for improved performance as it develops. The work of the newly vamped ALABC, now the CBI, holds great promise as does the work of firms as diverse as Daramic, Hammond and Advanced Battery Concepts, where ambitious goals look set to be met. Lithium continues to moves centre stage in the automotive world and continues to advance in the world of other applications. Question marks over its deployment still remain — recyclability being a huge one —but this year the chemistry’s market share will be yet another record one. Although flow batteries are still struggling commercially, it’s clear that much of its potential is still to be realised. After this, the great and the good of the energy storage business give their view on the years ahead.

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2020 VISION: SORFIN YOSHIMURA

The brakes are off If 2019 was a year where the battery industry largely trod water, this year looks set to be one of growth.

Scott Fink Sorfin Yoshimura

becoming more public. This is the case especially for large scale energy storage. The Arizona lithium fire and explosion last April brought the dangers home to utilities across the US and this has spilled out over the world. A more nuanced approach is emerging. As an industry, when we talk about the merits of lithium and lead, we need to be increasingly focused on the use of which chemistry will be suitable for which application. Lithium batteries are beginning to be recognized as, perhaps, the stepping stone to the future and although it is clearly the medium for powering consumer electronics, its usefulness in large-scale storage is more doubtful. In the end, probably some type of solid-state electrolyte technology will end up in that space but, for ourselves, we see stationary storage as a great spot for lead and a driver for growth for lead.

Decarbonization

ast year, most of the anecdotal evidence coming from the industry was that, in general, the brakes were on in terms of capital expenditure. Manufacturers were more focused on internal productivity — better performance inside the battery and better productivity — than expansion. The mood was also more sombre. Market talk was less how lead would compete against other chemistries in the future, but whether it would be able. This year the mood is already different. Capital expenditure is on the up — we’re seeing clear signs of that in our own order book — and the mood is a lot more optimistic, as evidenced by this more robust pipeline.

Threats

The looming threat of lithium hasn’t gone away but there’s an awareness that the chemistry’s limitations are

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We’re also aware that, although we talk about the recyclability of lead we’re really only barely touching on a much larger issue: Decarbonization. It’s becoming increasingly important for business owners, ourselves included, who now factor this mindset into our operations. I don’t believe that the carbon footprint for lead and lithium batteries from sourcing materials through to manufacturing to use to disposal has been properly compared. My instinct is that lithium will be, by some way, the more CO2 intensive, and that’s despite its higher energy density and superiority in the field over lead for most operations. But overall there’s a larger trend in place. In the US, almost all major battery manufacturers have lithium batteries as part of their portfolio

“The whole lead battery industry is finally coming to terms with the fact that our technology has remained unchallenged for decades and we’ve become complacent.” and what we’re seeing now is a generic move from calling themselves ‘battery makers’ to ‘energy storage providers’. It’s a welcome move. It shows that the whole lead battery industry is finally coming to terms with the fact that our technology has remained unchallenged for decades and we’ve become complacent. It’s positive that we are now addressing these issues and becoming agnostic to chemistry will only ensure these companies more opportunities in the years ahead.

Hot spots

In terms of the hot spots worldwide, India and China will continue to be areas of growth where the need for energy storage will continue to be pressing. That’s not to say it will all be plain sailing — for these two countries, in particular, there’s always going to be a potential threat to the lead battery business in case they introduce new legislation or regulations. Brazil is also a promising sales destination. The country has resources, is vast, the people are educated and there is a huge need for batteries. Brazil’s lead battery market may endure a period of consolidation near term, but overall, they are primed to develop, evolve and modernize. It’s an exciting market.

“The looming threat of lithium hasn’t gone away but there’s an awareness that the chemistry’s limitations are becoming more public.” Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 57

2020 VISION: EES & THE SMARTER E

Storage industry to profit from boom in renewable energies Renewable energies are rising in number worldwide. In the past year, new installations experienced strong growth and forecasts are optimistic. A driving force behind renewables is above all the economic aspect — renewables are already the cheapest form of electricity generation today. In most of the global markets, the creation of additional sales markets and technical progress will reduce prices further. An awareness of climate protection is rising. The solution for a climate-friendly energy supply lies in the combination of renewables together with energy storage. Using energy storage systems, solar and wind are the most important energy sources to ensure a stable and reliable 24/7 power supply. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, renewables could achieve an international share of 48% in electricity generation by 2050 — driven by continuously falling costs. By then in Europe, thanks to CO2 prices and other supporting measures, as much as 92% of electricity will be generated from renewable energies. The increasing abandonment of coal energy plays a major role here. In Great Britain, the phase-out of coal should be completed by 2025. In Spain and Germany at least it has already been decided. The energy transition would fail without energy storage, which is why the number of new large-volume storage projects is on the rise. An example can be found in the Netherlands: Here, energy group Vattenfall has spent a good €60 million ($66 million) on building and combining a 22MW wind farm, a 38MW photovoltaic installation and a 12MW battery storage system all in one location. Other major projects worldwide like this include the Tesla Big Battery in Australia. The energy world is facing global challenges. Europe and the German market are not excluded from this either. This is also reflected in the study Energy Turnaround in the Context of Nuclear and Coal Phase-Out, which was co-initiated by The smarter E, Europe’s innovative energy platform. The core result of this study is a significant increase in net electricity consumption in Germany from around 530TWh today to some 880TWh in

58 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

2040 as a result of greater electrification of the mobility and heating sectors. This will require a massive expansion of PV from currently 48GW to 162GW in 2030. In addition, the capacity of short-term storages must be at least 30 times higher by 2040. The foreseeable further development of the battery storage market into a mass market will be associated with an increase in available storage technologies, so the investment costs will continue to fall in the medium and long term. Battery storage is becoming increasingly important in the private house-

The energy transition would fail without energy storage, which is why the number of new largevolume storage projects is on the rise.

By 2050 as much as 92% of electricity will be generated from renewable energies in Europe…

…This is reflected in the annual increase in the number of exhibitors at the ees Europe in Munich, Europe’s largest and most international exhibition for batteries and energy storage systems, where the market leaders in the storage industry will meet again from June 17-19, 2020 and present their solutions and business ideas to an expert audience.

hold sector. PV system owners are moving away from pure electricity consumption and becoming producers themselves who not only consume the electricity. The main drivers with regard to the greater attractiveness of home storage systems are the falling system costs of battery storage systems, for example home storage systems: within 21/2 years these have decreased by 60% and will probably continue to decrease by 2030. More and more companies are assuming responsibility for climate protection and seeking solutions to become CO2-neutral business. Here, the use of renewables in combination with battery storage offers significant potential for optimizing energy procurement costs. In the context of the energy turnaround, the interest in innovative power-to-gas solutions is also increasing. As supplementary long-term storage, it is already very important today. These innovative examples demonstrate how there is incredible dynamism within the storage market and that an increasing number of new solutions are being developed to store the growing quantities of electrical energy being generated and to make it available in line with demand. This is also reflected in the annual increase in the number of exhibitors at the ees Europe in Munich, Europe’s largest and most international exhibition for batteries and energy storage systems, where the market leaders in the storage industry will meet again from June 17-19, 2020 and present their solutions and business ideas to an expert audience. Alongside consistently high interest in lithium-ion batteries, the demand for alternative storage technologies is growing. Interest in fuel cells and Power-to-gas has increased considerably. The increasing challenges require cross-sector solutions. With The smarter E, we have therefore created Europe’s largest energy industry platform, which focuses on the generation, storage, distribution and use of energy as well as its intelligent and interlinked interaction. As part of the innovation platform, ees Europe wants to make its contribution to ensuring a successful new energy world.

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2020 VISION: THE WAY FORWARD

Drive for greater efficiency, R&D ever more important

Doug Bornas MAC Engineering

AC Engineering has seen the lead acid battery industry change significantly over its 55 years, and as a company, we know that change is the future. The ever present push from new technologies: lithium, bipolar and zinc air, for example, coupled with regulations from governments: the mandates for electric vehicles, and the environmental directives; are only a few examples of the factors which continue to push lead acid producers to be more efficient in

every way possible. In 2019, MAC has responded to these changes by raising its level of R&D higher. Innovation and creativity, to help battery manufacturers improve what they are doing, has always been our goal as a company. MAC’s commitment is to helping our customers build their best batteries, and as a company, believe we are partners with our customers in that mission. New machines are being designed to fit what the manufacturers’ need so that they can put out their best product. MAC is working on three separate machines that will be valuable to these manufacturers. The first is targeted to be introduced early in 2020, and the other two are slated to be introduced late spring or early summer. MAC, as a speciality manufacturer, is also working on a number of distinctive projects with customers to design machines that they have not been able to find anywhere else, and want for their specific product ranges. At MAC, we believe that the most

important part of our identity is in our engineering; it is not just a name. We are an engineering company that has been in this industry since 1965. For 55 years, we have built exceptional machinery for the industry, and we will always continue to build and support the same great machines for which we have become known. But we are also looking forward, more than ever, to 2020 and into the future. Our level of trust with our customers makes them want to come to us with new projects and innovative ideas to make their processes better. We will continue to push the boundaries of design and technology to make better, safer and longer lasting equipment. MAC strives for improvement and inventiveness and will not box ourselves into old ideas. At MAC, we look forward to one day celebrating our 100th year in this industry, and the accomplishments of our newest, brightest and youngest engineers. MAC believes that they will be the ones you read about in the years to come.

The energy storage roll-out continues

Craig Brunk Bitrode

e look back on 2019 as being a highly successful year for the entire battery industry — for both lead and advanced products. 2018 was a great year but 2019 has been better — from our company perspective our record sales are the best we’ve seen for several years. The fact is that the battery industry continues to grow in all chemistries and that’s proven good for all testing

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firms. This is a trend that should continue throughout 2020. Our most recent product which allows testing for 1500V testing at up to 900kW, when running in 450kW in parallel, has attracted huge interest from the lead acid battery community, in particular marine batteries, as well as advanced chemistries. The need for testing at higher voltages and powers will continue to be a theme of this year coming and several more to come. Geographically, while we’re seeing greater demand for our high range voltage product, for instance, coming from Europe, south east Asia (putting aside China and India) is an exciting area for battery testing in general: think of countries such as Indonesia,

for example. The boom in telecoms, and with that the need for power at remote locations, shows both the need for testing and also the direction of energy storage in the region. Meanwhile in India, lithium battery manufacturing is both an exciting sector for the industry — they’re coming at it from ground zero — and challenging. A whole new generation of energy start-ups is on the move. In the US, the resurgence of e-mobility has created a greater maturity in looking at how lithium battery packs are put together. There is less of a demand for testing equipment as the ecar industry moves into a potential third generation of dealing with lithium batteries

The need for testing at higher voltages and powers will continue to be a theme of this year coming and several more to come. Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 59

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2020 VISION: ATOMIZED PRODUCTS GROUP

A busy 2019 and yet a still busier year ahead Atomized Products Group wishes a very happy and prosperous 2020 to the entire battery industry! We are thrilled with the growth and development we have seen in the past year but we also know there is a lot more work and development to be done at all levels of the industry supply chain to ensure continued success. It’s been a pleasure working with Batteries International, BCI, the Consortium for Battery Innovation and all our fellow industry members during our 20-year run as negative expander suppliers and we are excited for what the next 20 years hold. A brief summary of a busy 2019 for APG • We developed and launched three new lines of our TEXEX-brand negative expanders for AGM, EFB, and advanced deep-cycle batteries to help our customers push further and faster towards new performance targets. • We had zero reports from our customers on quality issues. • Our Chesapeake plant successfully doubled its expander packaging capacity, allowing for higher efficiency output and greater contingencies to protect the industry. • We joined forces with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership in their VALET program to develop

export sales to Brazil, India and other key markets • We’ve worked in concert with our customers to approve new sources of critical raw materials in an effort to both control costs and mitigate supply chain risks. • Thanks to our chief scientist Melchor Fernández Garcia we presented technical papers on our products at the FENIBAT Conference in Brazil and at the Asian Battery Conference in Bali. • APG, Inc. maintained its status as a certified Woman-Owned Business Enterprise, providing our customers with all the benefits of having a diverse supplier.

We developed and launched three new lines of our TEXEX-brand negative expanders for AGM, EFB, and advanced deep-cycle batteries in order to help our customers push further and faster toward new performance targets.

As we move into 2020 APG will continue to develop the highest quality, best performing and lowest cost negative expander additives on the market.

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As we move into 2020 APG will continue to develop the highest quality, best performing and lowest cost negative expander additives on the market. We look forward to attending more trade shows and industry events and we’re excited to engage with customers and key suppliers on more battery application-specific trials to help leadacid keep the pace with competing technologies. Additionally, we plan to deepen our involvement with the Consortium for Battery Innovation so that we can contribute as much as possible to the excellent research and development work being done worldwide.

For any further information or interest in our products please contact our executive vice-president Lee Puckett at Lee.Puckett@ atomizedproductsgroup.com and visit our website at http://www. atomizedproductsgroup.com. For those who would prefer to just drink the products offered by the other Puckett family business feel free to check us out at http://www. lovingstonwinery.com

Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 63

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2020 VISION: THE WAY FORWARD

Sustainable. Essential. Safe.

Lisa Dry Battery Council International

’m excited about our communications plans for 2020 as this year we’ll introduce new programs and outreach to key audiences. Our goal remains the same: Using the Essential Energy Everyday brand, we will continue to more directly engage with policymakers as well as those who influence the influencers. But near term you’ll see more message emphasis on sustainability and innovation, and less on safety and essentiality. Sustainable, Essential, Innovative and Safe were the original mes-

sage pillars when the campaign was launched in Fall 2017. With batteries such an important part of the zeitgeist, we now place the focus on sustainability, which distinguishes us from other battery chemistries. By promoting projects such as the Argonne CRADA and industry case studies, we can demonstrate that we’re focused on continuous improvement and innovation. We’ll start the year strong with the launch of a Thought Leadership blog series. We’ve found that we get the highest social media and web engagement when we feature industry leaders in our materials. Policymakers, as well as company employees, want to know what is on the minds of forward-looking battery company executives. In New Orleans we videotaped many industry leaders for their thoughts on innovation, and soon these will be revealed on our website and through social media. An anticipated highlight will occur February 12 when we will host our second Capitol Hill briefing as part of the lead-up to Battery Day, February

18. We will deliver sustainability and innovation messages to congressional staffers and stakeholders. And to help BCI members and battery makers of all kinds celebrate the day, we are creating a “Battery Day” logo that will be available for all to use. To build on the success of our participation in the Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Sustainability and Circular Economy Summit, we have targeted similar forums where we can share our story with leaders in the sustainability space who influence policymakers. We are awaiting a decision from GreenBiz’s Circularity20 organizers to see if our proposed panel makes the cut for their May conference in Atlanta. It is the largest circular economy event in the US and we want to share our story with other leaders in this space. This is just a tease of what’s ahead for the year. To keep up with what’s new, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook (@EnergyEveryday), and our website www.essenetialenergyeveryday.com.

2019 highlights and a new EU regulatory framework on batteries

Rene Schroder EUROBAT

atteries have been the talk of the town in Brussels and member states for several years now. During the 2014-2019 legislative term, the European Commission worked mostly on the demand side: mainly related to electric mobility, while the clean energy package clarified the regulatory framework for energy storage. Earlier in 2019, EUROBAT conveyed the industry’s key asks to the newly elected policymakers, bundled together in an “Election Manifesto”. 2020 will be the year of the new European Commission’s Work Pro-

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gramme with a strong focus on decarbonization, the circular economy and industrial policy. All these policies are relevant for manufacturers of batteries, which are therefore very much in the spotlight of EU policymakers. One of EUROBAT’s main demands was to provide a regulatory framework for batteries, including all four battery technologies in the equation as they all play their role in achieving the Commission’s decarbonization targets and all chemistries still have a lot of additional potential for development. Specifically on lead batteries, EUROBAT launched the “Charge the Future” campaign, which calls on the EU to back continued innovation and growth in the lead battery industry and its value chain as a key building block to achieving Europe’s low carbon ambitions. It was launched towards the end of 2019 and will run well into 2020. On April 21, EUROBAT will present its white paper “Battery Innovation Roadmap 2030”, which builds on the

“Election Manifesto”. The white paper will give an overview of the marketoriented innovation potential of all battery technologies in their various applications. The new European Commission will start work in 2020 on a new regulatory framework for batteries, which will further build on the launch of the European Battery Alliance. The Batteries Directive and End-ofLife Vehicles Directive are due for review by the end of 2020, and the Commission has already launched its work on the sustainability criteria for batteries. The industry, together with other stakeholders, is calling for the development of a Battery Package to work on these files coherently and from a broader perspective. This represents an important opportunity for the European battery industry to address legislative overlaps that exist between the Batteries Directive, End-of-Life Vehicles Directive and REACH Regulation.

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2020 VISION: BATEK MAKINA

Factors that will define the battery landscape in the years ahead

ome 17 years ago three industry veterans set out to establish a company that could — and would — build better battery manufacturing machines. They called it Batek. Since then the firm has become an integral part of the fast-changing battery landscape, keeping pace with the innovations in technology and changes worldwide in the business environment. The industry has become increasingly global thanks in part to advances in international trade and also initiatives taken by multinationals to expand their business to more distant parts of the world. The geographical shift in the industry’s core manufacturing zones has been an extraordinary phenomenon — several newcomers in the former peripheral regions turned out to become giants within a decade. The increase in the size of the market at the beginning of the new millennium rippled outwards, touching supplier firms, which also prospered. For those suppliers that were successful — and Batek was one of them — it becomes almost commonplace for revenues to soar. For Batek this period marked a great leap forward. It became one of the pillars in the battery equipment market. Growth in our business made it essential to move to a new plant — the third such move in the company’s history and only 10 years since the previous relocation. Our new state of the art plant is double the size of the previous one. Not only will it offer us vast capabilities in building more of our existing machinery — and possibly developing new machinery — but also motivates us to strive to continue to provide excellence. For us, understanding the specific conditions and needs of battery manufacturers is key to being able to deliver successful projects. Despite megatrends in the industry that favour standardization of products and common procedures, the reality for the factory floor is that we need to build in design flexibility and offer a variety of production methods. In practice this means that no two projects are identical. We guarantee that we can offer a customized solution no matter how distant the require-

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Our new state of the art plant is double the size of the previous one. Not only will it offer us vast capabilities in building more of our existing machinery — and possibly developing new machinery — but also motivates us to strive to continue to provide excellence. ments are from mainstream specifications. We believe in the importance of implementing innovative services rather than just building sophisticated and technologically advanced machinery. Battery manufacturers in the future will need to collaborate with equipment suppliers on design, process and service engineering to succeed in the highly competitive market. Thus, the more talented the equipment supplier is in providing accompanying services, the more successful its customers will be. The battery industry is currently experiencing two contradictory trends. These will eventually determine the structure of the market and the industry in the coming years. The first is consolidation. Heavy pressure on EBITDA (earnings before interest tax deduction and amortization) for all manufacturers — whatever their size — resulted in the acquisition fever the industry experienced at the beginning of the 2000s. Almost two decades later this has been fol-

lowed by worrisome sell-outs. The other threat coming is from the global hysteria around protectionism. This poses a real peril to the free international trade that our industry relies on so heavily. Both battery and equipment manufacturers alike need to develop strategies based on dealing with these scenarios. There are also external pressures coming from alternative battery chemistries, most particularly from lithium ion. All these rather gruesome topics remind us once more how significant the capabilities of battery manufacturers are in the way that they can — and do — quickly adapt to new circumstances. Over the years we’ve always ensured that our business strategies place great emphasis on feedback and support to our customers worldwide. We are deeply thankful for their continuous cooperation. We shall be putting our utmost effort in to take our commitment to the industry even further.

Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 67

2020 VISION: HAMMOND GROUP

Ownership

Realignment

Opportunities T

he change to private equity ownership at several battery companies and lead smelters could bring differentiating strategies and a meaningful impact on our industry’s future. Batteries may be viewed as recession-resistant commodities serving to balance investment portfolios or as a new growth industry in society’s effort to

We also embarked on a new ownership strategy and are on track to transition from a 90-yearold, privately held company, to an ESOP.

reduce our carbon footprint. While new owners certainly will be looking for cost-cutting opportunities, this could be complemented by renewed investments in product development. Hammond Group has chosen to serve our highly-competitive industry with value propositions that address both requirements--lower costs and product innovation. We’re developing more sophisticated oxides and performance additives to cut production costs with reduced formation time and increased battery performance. We also embarked on a new ownership structure to transition our 90-year-old, privately-held company to an ESOP. Our employeeownership strategy will provide longterm stability for our business, our community, and reward our focused

workforce, many of whom are third, fourth, and fifth-generation.

Active Materials Development

Hammond’s Research Center continues to focus on meeting emerging battery requirements by improving material utilization, charge efficiency, cycle life, charge acceptance, and high-temperature stability. These challenges have stimulated the development of advanced expanders employing exotic carbons and synthetic lignins to improve negative active material performance. We recognize industry’s considerable efforts have brought important advances, but there remains considerable room for improvement, particularly in materials substitution for cost savings.

HAMMOND GROUP INC. PRIDES ITSELF ON GENERATIONAL EMPLOYMENT

Left: Three generations of the Botts family have worked for Hammond Group (from left): Brandon Botts, Gary Dean Botts II, Kyle Botts, Richard Botts and Patrick Botts. Right: Three generations of the Holder family have worked for Hammond Group (from left): Randy Holder, Matt Holder and Steve Holder.

66 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 2019/20 68

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2020 VISION: HAMMOND GROUP

Another major focus for 2020 is our HALO oxide production. Our goal is focused on better process controls, that will allow tighter specifications in oxidation and morphology, which could yield significant cost saving opportunities for our customers. A major focus for 2020 is our HALO oxide production. Improved process control will allow tighter specifications in oxidation and morphology for important opportunities in customer cost savings. We’re also seeing a renewed interest in tetrabasic lead sulfate which provides for a 5%-7% reduction in positive active material. Hammond’s recently-launched Treated SureCure® improves formation conversion, addressing

a critical concern that previously had kept some manufacturers from changing to a tetrabasic cure. Spiral wound and bi-polar architectures have benefitted from “designer” oxides and these could also play a significant role improving lead’s mass utilization which remains well below theoretical limits. Hammond has been a participant in CBI’s initiative at Argonne National Laboratory to improve the understanding of lead’s

in-situ electro-chemistry and provide fresh insights on pathways to more effectively compete in advanced energy storage applications. We believe lead batteries will play a major role in the continuing electrification of our transportation systems and the storage requirements needed for intermittent renewables, so Hammond is committed to continued innovation in high-quality Performance Additives and Oxides.

Committed to Advancing PbA Battery Chemistry

InnovatIon award wInner

Left: Four generations of the Hedge family have worked for Hammond Group (from left): Ed Hedge IV, Perry Hedge Jr. and Perry Hedge Sr. Right: Three generations of the Gresham family have worked for Hammond Group (from left): Charles Gresham, Romano Gresham and Adriano Gresham.

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67 Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 69

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2020 VISION: OMI

Opportunities, challenges and criticalities

Melissa Maggioni OMI

The environmental crisis that we are all facing now needs to be addressed thoroughly … there are things the battery industry can do, everything from reducing our waste to increasing our efficiency.

n terms of geography the potential in Asia and South America is still very large: demand for quality products is rising across these regions so they are looking at our machinery and product range with ever greater interest. One area of the globe that still disappoints is Africa, which continues to suffer from political instability and even though new projects are constantly on the table they take a long time to come to fruition. On top of this trade wars, protectionism and changing tariffs between countries are creating uncertainty in terms of the costs of materials and components. This is becoming a big problem — especially with long-term projects (which are the ones we’re normally involved in with our customers). 2020 will be an important year for OMI as an Italian company as ELBC — the European Lead Battery Conference — will take place in Milan this September. It will be an unmissable opportunity to show to the market the cutting edge technology Italian companies, such as ourselves, can offer the battery business.

It should also remind the industry of the long legacy of invention that the country has provided over the years, going as far back as Alessandro Volta as the first inventor of the electric battery. Our level of technology — the result of years of experience and innovation improvements — will be an important driver in terms of attracting customer demand, given the increasing competition we are expecting. The environmental crisis that we are all facing now needs to be addressed thoroughly in all aspects of our economies: the energy storage business can make a difference. There are things our industry can do, from reducing our waste to increasing our efficiency. OMI has, for a long time, focused on improving battery formation systems — and doing so in an increasingly safe and environmentally friendly way: we are supplying our machinery of the latest technologies to allow our customers a fuller and better control of the process. We have a full range of formation equipment to suit every need. • Acid recirculation formation • Advanced water bath formation • Filling process for flooded and AGM batteries • Acid preparation, storage and recovery • Finishing and dispatching equipment • Anti-pollution equipment

OMI-NBE OMI-NBE operates in the field of engineering and technology for the production and recharging of different types of batteries — automotive, industrial, flooded, or AGM & VRLA — and can offer partial or complete solutions for your needs. From the smallest equipment to a complete project for a new battery recharging system, we are able to study, analyze and provide the best solution for your needs. Our technical knowledge and years of experience is second to none.

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Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 71

2020 VISION: THE WAY FORWARD

Innovation to thrive as we take advantage of changing times

Andy Bush International Lead Association

here will be no let-up in the pace of change facing our industry in 2020, but we have never been in a stronger position to make a positive difference through innovation, supporting efforts to achieve a low carbon future. The momentum building towards greater electrification and decarbonization will see more countries following Europe’s attempt to embed a Green Deal, mainstreaming all forms of sustainability. It is why the lead battery industry must continue to demonstrate its relevance and ability to support policymakers who are looking to achieve

Alistair Davison Consortium for Battery Innovation

he huge growth in demand for battery energy storage has been matched by interest from companies wanting to be part of the consortium. We will mark our first anniversary as the Consortium for Battery Innovation with the announcement that we now have more than 100 members and partners worldwide. The race is on to develop batteries with better performance, longer life and enhanced management systems. Each of our research projects is geared

72 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

carbon neutrality, whether in the US, Europe or worldwide. I have no doubt that industries demonstrating a commitment to innovation and the ability to achieve a smooth transition to a low carbon economy will thrive. Therefore, we will continue to invest in the work of the Consortium for Battery Innovation, (CBI) building on its reputation for research excellence and insight. Our work with the battery industry in North America has benefited greatly from the Essential Energy Everyday campaign, which has raised the bar in terms of awareness and engagement with policy makers and other influencers on the importance of lead batteries. We will continue to support this key communications effort in 2020 by ensuring the work of the CBI and other ILA initiatives remains closely aligned. The year will see the start of consultations in the European Union about whether lead use should by phased out under the REACH chemicals legislation. We will be working closely with our partners and downstream users to make the strongest possible case for lead, demonstrating why, responsibly manufactured and controlled, it is an essential metal for battery production

and many other uses. And with that in mind we will be redoubling our efforts to promote the value of lead batteries through the #ChargeTheFuture campaign as 2020 heralds what will be a difficult challenge to maintain the existing exemption from the ban on the use of lead batteries in vehicles, covered by the EU End of Vehicle Life Directive. Showing how as an industry we prioritize our responsibilities to protect people and the environment will feature strongly in 2020. In low and-middleincome countries, concerns about lead and safety are particularly acute where informal and inappropriate recycling of lead batteries is taking place. While we have supported more than 50 countries raising the standard of lead battery recycling in the last 20 years alone, alongside our partner associations, Battery Council International, EUROBAT and Association of Battery Recyclers, we will be rolling out our material stewardship programme which establishes guiding principles which will set the standard for the way we do business, will enhance responsible sourcing practices and our support for projects aimed at improving lead battery recycling globally.

to achieving breakthroughs, set out in our recently published technical roadmap, which our members can then deploy commercially. Our ground-breaking research project at the US Argonne national laboratory (one of the most advanced in the world) enters its second year and the results of this will continue to re-shape battery innovation. We are helping realize the full potential of the technology, and we will be inviting suggestions for new research proposals for our 2020 program. The way we market the true capability of advanced lead batteries has been a feature of the consortium’s work so far. In 2020 we will continue to expand our series of case studies. They demonstrate how lead batteries

supplied by consortium members are being deployed for energy storage in applications from microgrids to frequency regulation, and from EV charging stations to peak shaving and smoothing. We’re in discussion with a range of research institutions about new energy storage system projects which will be revealed during the year, again serving to demonstrate how we are moving the boundaries in terms of lead battery energy storage and innovation. We’ll also be unveiling a new consortium online tool: the battery energy storage calculator. This will allow endusers to tap in their technical energy storage requirements via our website, and the calculator will assess the most suitable battery solutions for a given application.

The way we market the true capability of advanced lead batteries has been a feature of the consortium’s work so far www.batteriesinternational.com

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2020 VISION: THE WAY FORWARD

Battery price drops to fuel huge advances possible

Dirk Kaisers EATON

ith a consistent uptick in electric vehicle adoption, and new gigawatt scale factories coming online, we’ve seen battery prices significantly fall this past year. Though this has enabled a growth in large battery storage pro-

jects, outdated regulations and market structures have continued to considerably hinder behind the meter storage growth. To enable the development of these projects, behind the meter energy storage needs to be on a level playing field. This means road blocks such as double taxation — paying tax for both incoming and outgoing energy — must be avoided. In general, market access needs to be made more accessible and revenue streams must be structured in a way that various markets can have access to behind the meter storage. Opening up the market for aggregators and improving regulations will accelerate the growth of batteries behind the meter in buildings and residences, allowing for faster adoption of renewables, and ultimately democratising energy storage and solar for all electricity consumers. Looking forward, the industry must move from a centralized system — which was considered standard for power generation with fossil fuels — to a decarbonized one where system

Flow batteries continue to evolve but commercialization struggling

Anthony Price Swanbarton Limited/IFBF

ere at Swanbarton, we’ll be working with clients on some novel applications for flow batteries, bringing other longer types of long duration batteries into the market and pushing hard to make

74 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

sure there is a commercial environment that does recognize time of day pricing and the relevance of local energy trading. That’s going to be important to improve the utilization and value of behind the meter assets. We have some exciting projects under way and working with our partners, looking at community and local energy with and without batteries both in the UK and in Africa and Asia. We are looking forward to the next session of the International Flow Battery Forum. The flow battery community is full of surprises — recently we have had company mergers and acquisitions, grouping of materials and electrolyte suppliers with manufacturers and new companies entering the flow battery market — with some very novel ideas. We learnt last year that synthetic

stability is created with various assets and measures. From there, the digitalization of the electricity grid — or the creation of the smart grid — will be the next priority. The energy industry will be entering 2020 in a healthy place, but there can be no ‘smart’ grid without comprehensive awareness around what is happening across all energy systems. Until now, most of these innovations around the digitalization of the grid have only been simulated, and next year will be the time to increase the number of pilots and implement the right software. Doing this will help to integrate the ever-rising number of distributed assets, ultimately managing the flow of information. Eaton will continue to provide state of the art products, like low and medium voltage range assets, in order to provide a decarbonized and stable electrical grid of the future.

There can be no ‘smart’ grid without comprehensive awareness around what is happening across all energy systems organic electrolytes could revolutionize the cost structure of flow batteries. We heard that manufacturers have responded to pressure from other battery systems by developing flow battery systems that can withstand frequent, heavy duty cycling, making flow batteries a good choice for multiple applications for both stand alone and behind the meter. Our view is that flow batteries have yet to carve out their own unique places in the storage markets of the world, and the winning application in the UK will be different from Germany, Spain or Eastern Europe. The many separate markets across the rest of the world all have different requirements and our challenge in organizing and setting the agenda for IFBF in 2020 is to make sure we cover the whole picture, not just the research and technology and manufacturing but also the commercialization, the financing and operation of a technology that can be used at nearly any scale, safely and reliably for many years to come.

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2020 VISION: THE WAY FORWARD

Looking ahead to a decade of advancement

Dawn Heng Daramic

s one decade comes to an end and a new one begins it’s time to take stock of what’s been accomplished and what we aim to achieve. As a company the last 10 years have been exciting ones in a huge variety of ways. In terms of international expansion what we started across Asia in the 2000s has grown and consolidated — we’ve opened up a greenfield plant in Gujurat, India, and expanded plants in China, Thailand and France. But it’s not just been a geographical expansion into the booming Asian

markets, it’s our product range — and our research — that has grown exponentially in recent years. Much of our recent research and testing has focused on improved separator design using different formulations and ribs that improve acid mixing reduce acid stratification — which in turn reduces water loss and limits grid corrosion. The result has been a range of patented products such as Duralife, HiCharge and Ricklife which are specially designed to operate in more difficult working conditions. And in the coming decade? Here we see our R&D working continuing to bear fruit — it’s a trend that we see accelerating, and most particularly with the improvements we’re making in our new RipTide product. We envisage the partial stage of charge cycle life for a standard SLI and EFB battery to advance from 500 cycles to around 1600 in the next one to two years with our new RipTide product.

We see this happening in a four step progression where we combine physical modifications to the ribbing structure combined with the addition of carbon variations to give this result.

We envisage the partial stage of charge cycle life for a standard SLI and EFB battery to advance from 500 cycles to around 1600 in the next one to two years with our new RipTide product.

Battery quality consistency is key for electro-mobility

Adrian Spillmann Bühler

he last couple of months have been exciting ones for Bühler. We see an increasing interest

in our continuous mixing process for large scale production of lithium-ion battery electrode slurries, especially for the upcoming manufacturing capacities to be built in Europe. However, we observe a clear slowdown in the Chinese battery market due to substantial subsidy cuts for new energy vehicles. We believe this is only a temporary effect and the local market will recover again within the next 12 to 18 months. We are convinced improved product consistency and quality control along the whole process chain for lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing is a prerequisite for a successful transformation towards mass electro-mobility. Continuous processes featuring a high degree of automation allow maintain-

ing product quality at a constant high level and minimize the impact of manual operations. Furthermore, inline quality control drives consistency and allows an increase of production yield and reduction of waste. This is key to reducing the manufacturing cost and at the same time, improve battery performance. This is why Bühler will continue to focus on the further development of our continuous mixing process for large-scale manufacturing of electrode slurries and the inline quality control expert system QuaLiB. At the same time, we are convinced, a collaborative approach between cell manufacturers, material suppliers and process solution providers is required to jointly make the difference in large-scale battery manufacturing.

We are convinced improved product consistency and quality control along the whole process chain for lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing is a prerequisite for a successful transformation towards mass electro-mobility. www.batteriesinternational.com

Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 75

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2020 VISION: THE WAY FORWARD

Three big predictions for 2020 that there will be up to 100 million EVs on the road by 2025. While the consumer demand is there, and the automotive manufacturers are now producing some beautiful electric vehicles, the lack of range of the current EVs coupled with a dearth of recharging points is going to cause misery. The solution to this is, of course, batteries. New generation batteries with much higher energy density (so longer range) are needed to reduce the frequency of recharging. At the same time, batteries can provide the energy buffer at recharging stations and so increase availability of EV charge points. In every aspect of our lives, from intelligent devices to home energy to cars, battery performance will be critical. So expect to read a lot more about batteries in the next 12 months

Julian Tanner Innolith

he first prediction is that batteries themselves will be a far bigger story in 2020 than 2019. As the world moves away from fossil fuels towards electrification we need to store the energy and that means batteries.

deployment of hundreds of millions of batteries in EVs, consumer devices and energy storage devices is going to make them commonplace. Already in South Korea we have seen more than 23 major energy storage system fires in the past 18 months. This has led to the suspension of the energy storage programme in the country for safety reasons.

• An entirely new battery chemistry is needed for the world The world’s growing reliance on batteries has not been matched by innovation in new battery technologies. The era of organic Li-ion batteries began in the early 1990s and has served the world well. But organic Li-ion is reaching its technical limit and entirely new technology is needed to break through the energy density glass ceiling of 400 Wh/kg and enable the societal transition to electric cars, boats and planes. Today we have innovative new companies with breakthrough technology to offer, but the big players in the energy and automotive sectors need to support the new innovators. It may well be that 2020 is the year where the industry will realign bring a new era of battery technology to the world.

• Battery fire safety will become a burning issue

• EV transition will run into a recharging crisis

The lithium ion batteries in use widely today are both inherently flammable and also inherently thermally unstable – as in they tend to catch fire and only the software of the battery management system stops them from doing so. While a battery fire today is regarded as an exotic experience, the

In Europe there are nearly a million battery electric vehicles currently on the road. This number is set to grow, with 1.5 million EV sales estimated in Europe in 2020 – and it is forecast by the International Energy Authority

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FLOW BATTERIES COVER STORY: FLOW BATTERIES

Flow batteries: preparing to make a splash Flow batteries have struggled for almost a quarter of a century to prove their commercial viability. But, with a couple of large deals shortly turning into reality, perhaps now their time is about to happen.

78 â&#x20AC;˘ Batteries International â&#x20AC;˘ Winter 2019/20

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FLOW BATTERIES COVER STORY: FLOW BATTERIES “The jury is still out as to which system might be the winner.” That’s how Anthony Price, the managing director of energy storage consultancy Swanbarton, characterizes the prospects of various flow battery chemistries and their potential for gaining market share and becoming mainstream. Price is one of the organizers of the International Flow Battery Forum, an annual conference set up to raise the profile of flow batteries as a crucial technology within the electrical energy storage sector. He also sits on a working group of the International Electrotechnical Commission looking at standards for flow batteries. “There is a healthy level of activity in the flow battery space — far more than I realized when I was helping to form the IFBF,” he says. “I am either helping folk who are outside the industry understand flow batteries, or folk inside who need to gain specialist knowledge. “When we started the IFBF 10 years ago, it was because we thought very few people were considering flow batteries. In fact, we were very wrong. There are many companies and groups working on all aspects of flow batteries: improving existing systems, with improved performance, better materials and lower cost manufacturing as well as identifying completely new systems, applications and configurations.” What is fascinating, says Price, is that some of the original ideas developed around flow batteries years ago are still going strong. “There is plenty of activity in the all-vanadium system; it’s well known, well studied, and with advances in the composition of the electrolytes, increased performance is possible.” But despite glowing forecasts from industry insiders years ago, they are still far from mainstream.

Global installations

It’s not as if flow batteries have never been heard of. A smattering of firms including Sumitomo, Gildemeister, UniEnergy Technologies, Schmid, Primus Power and redT Energy have all been working in the space for some time now, and China’s Rongke is working on installing what will be the largest vanadium flow battery complex in the world. Due to come online next year, the 800 MWh battery is being installed in Dalian, 550 kilometres east of Beijing. The battery stacks are being manu-

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Swanbarton’s Anthony Price: “There’s a healthy level of activity in the flow battery space ... far more than when I was helping to form the IFBF a decade ago.”

factured at Rongke’s new gigafactory, which opened in 2016 and will eventually have a production capacity of 3GWh a year. And the Dalian complex is just one of almost 30 battery installations being built across China by Rongke, a spin-off from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, a research division of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In Saudi Arabia, German technology group Schmid in May 2019 signed a JV with two Saudi investors to develop and manufacture VRFBs. Riyadh-based Nusanet Investment, which is owned by SABIC, and the RIWAQ Industrial Development Company have partnered Schmid to create a champion in the utility-scale energy storage segment, with plans for a GW-scale manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia. Production is planned to begin next year, and the Kingdom is targeting 57.5GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. The JV considers utilityscale stationary energy storage will be critical in stabilizing and connecting the new generating capacity to the grid. Schmid Group has been refining its

technology since 2009. One of its earliest pilots was with Stadtwerke Freudenstadt, a local utility in Germany, which installed a container in early 2014 to allow the partners to monitor how reliably the system worked on the grid. Schmid has also been producing a compact flow battery energy storage system for homes and small commercial installations for Germany’s growing solar PV self-consumption market, which is supported with government subsidy. It also makes containers for building integrated storage for industry and commerce, as well as large-scale storage for larger solar and wind projects, grid operators or transmission system operators. “We see lots of potential for telecoms, because the batteries have long operational lifetimes, as their degradation from cycling is minimal compared with lithium ion and other batteries,” said Henrik Buschmann, vice president, Schmid Energy Systems. “This is especially the case in hot climates. “Another advantage it has over lead batteries, in particular, in telecoms is that they are hard to steal because they are one large unit and there is no street value attached to this type of battery, unlike lead acid, where the lead can be sold as scrap metal.” Telecoms is a promising opportunity as it could demand high numbers of flow batteries in markets where telecom towers are being built and there is poor or no grid infrastructure, such as in many parts of Africa and the Indian sub-continent. One advantage of vanadium redox flow technology is that it has the capacity to be scaled up or down, independently of power.

RedT — machines, not batteries

One company making strides with its flow battery technology is redT Energy. The company produces vanadium redox flow batteries, although it prefers to call them machines. The fact that redT is talking to Avalon, a US-based firm that also produces VRFBs, about merging points

China’s Rongke is working on installing what will be the largest vanadium flow battery complex in the world. Due to come online next year, the 800 MWh battery is being installed in Dalian, 550 kilometres north east of Beijing. Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 79

FLOW BATTERIES

Avalon is in talks with redT, a US-based firm that produces VRFBs, about merging. This points to the likelihood of redT becoming a major player in the field

to the likelihood of redT becoming a big player in the field, says Joe Worthington, head of external communications at the company. “They have a very strong footprint in North America and parts of Asia, while we are more focused on Europe, Africa and Australia — so it’s a logical fit,” he says. RedT, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market, began life in Kenya in 1989, when it was involved in carbon trading, energy investments and other clean energy projects. As the group diversified, in 2000 it worked on a project called E-Fuel, which was originally dedicated to refuelling vehicles with vanadium electrolyte. It gradually moved to focus on the stationary energy storage market and commercialize a redox flow battery. After several years of research and development, it produced the first commercial batteries in 2015. The deal with Avalon looks set to go ahead in the coming months after Bushveld Minerals, an AIM quoted primary vanadium producer, said it would support the merger between Avalon and redT with interim funding of $5 million in the form of a convertible loan. The deal also gives Bushveld the opportunity to acquire a strategic interest in the merged energy storage company. As Fortune Mojapelo, CEO of Bushveld Minerals, explained when the funding was announced, given the world’s growing need for energy storage solutions, he anticipates flow batteries will play an increasingly important role, increasing the requirement for vanadium.

KEEPING COSTS DOWN — RENTING OUT THE ELECTROLYTE One of the major challenges to the progress of vanadium flow batteries — which while not the only kind of flow battery are still the dominant chemistry — is the cost of the main element. Price says they could well have gained more traction in energy storage were it not for the timing of a huge rise in the price of vanadium in 2017, just as several flow battery firms were ready to commercialize their product and go to market. The price soared because vanadium is used in strengthening steel and in 2018, one of the world’s biggest buyers of vanadium, China,

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changed its building regulations so that steel had to be made stronger. Demand for the element soared. “Vanadium is a traded commodity and the market is moved by the much larger steel-making industry,” says Price. “The vanadium developer is not in control of prices but there was a point a couple of years ago when I felt the flow battery industry was about to make real inroads into the energy storage market. A lot of good developments had happened, but then the price rocketed — and lithium instead captured much of that space.” The swings in the price of the

raw material, along with the battery having a relatively low cell voltage, are the two main challenges outside competition, Price says. “And unfortunately people buying stuff only tend to look at a few metrics. One of these is the initial capital cost, and lithium has been coming in cheaper.” Some flow battery manufacturers, however, are finding a way around the cost problem by taking the cost of vanadium out of the equation. Price says some suppliers are beginning to put in place finance agreements, whereby the vanadium remains in their ownership, is

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FLOW BATTERIES “This demonstrates our conviction in VRFB technology’s potential and our ability to meet the vanadium supply needs of the energy storage industry. The energy storage market presents a very large commercial opportunity, potentially exceeding $300 billion by 2030, with the combined redT-Avalon well placed to capitalize on this opportunity,” he said. For Avalon the merger also makes perfect sense. Founded in 2013, Avalon’s founders started with the aim of taking the basic technology around a flow battery and packaging it and commercializing it in a way that meant standardized products could be produced from a production line. The company spent several years working on R&D and secured more fundraising before the company got that far. It finally established a formal manufacturing facility in 2017 and, to date, it has made and supplied 154 identical flow batteries that are being used in various parts of the world in mainly commercial and industrial installations as well as distributed generation battery storage linked to solar farms. Matt Harper, president of Avalon, says the product is now where it wants it to be. “Our level of standardization is phenomenal,” he says. “Everything is fully assembled and tested; we are the only company in the world delivering flow batteries in this way.” RedT’s first-generation products have been deployed in a number of sites in the UK, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. It is now on its thirdgeneration product and has around

‘rented out’ and given back at the end of the life of the battery. This is possible because of a unique characteristic of vanadium flow batteries: the ‘flow’ in them means energy is stored in liquid electrolyte (sulfuric and hydrochloric acids) and the vanadium dissolved in the electrolyte is where the energy is stored. The reason the batteries deliver a stable performance over decades of use is because the vanadium never gets lost or degrades. The vanadium thus retains 100% of its value at the end of battery life, which means the electrolyte can be

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20MWh of projects either deployed, contracted or under development.

The lithium battle

Interest in flow batteries is growing. Harper says the company’s growth trajectory suggests that while it has deployed some 4MWh of batteries to date, it will do 6MWh-8MWh in the next year. One of the drivers of this interest, Harper says, is an increasing understanding among businesses of the importance of resilience, especially against the context of increasing power outages in some parts of the country caused by natural catastrophes such as wildfires.

Interest in flow batteries is growing. Harper says the company’s growth trajectory suggests that while it has deployed some 4MWh of batteries to date, it will do 6-8MWh in the next year. One project that typifies this arrangement was for Sandbar Solar, a solar installation company. When it moved to new headquarters in Northern California, it decided to operate independently of the grid — by using battery storage. After much consideration around the best way forward, the company opted to use vanadium flow batteries supplied by Avalon.

rented out at a very low cost and not sold as part of the battery. “Renting electrolyte is only practical with vanadium because the metal does not degrade after its useful life, one more reason that vanadium is the preferred mineral for energy storage systems,” says Mikhail Nikomarov, CEO of Bushveld Energy, talking about its vanadium deployment arrangement with Avalon. “Now vanadium takes its place alongside gold, silver and platinum as a metal that can be leased, opening up immense future opportunities for this model.”

But Avalon’s main challenger is not other flow battery companies, it is lithium-ion — the chemistry that has come to dominate many areas of the batteries world including, increasingly, energy storage. “The only place we come up against other flow batteries as competition is where a client has specifically decided to install a flow battery,” Harper says. “Otherwise, it is always lithium-ion that we compete against.” He says the popularity and dominance of lithium-ion is such that it can be hard to gain traction. But there are some factors now in favour of flow batteries. One is that people are increasingly worried about the tendency of lithium batteries to start fires. In some countries — most notably South Korea ± and parts of the US this concern is causing some authorities to consider banning their use in certain settings. “Where that is a concern, our batteries come through for their dependability, durability and safety,” he says. RedT’s Worthington agrees that one of the toughest tasks for the company is educating customers about what flow batteries are, what they do — and why they can offer better performance and value than lithium-ion. But he says that as lithium has such a high profile now, this can be hard. He says that the company also offers solutions that use lithium-ion chemistry — and it has even completed projects that use both in an installation. He believes the world is starting to better understand the pros and cons of each — but slowly. “Lithium has the big advantage because it became so widely used in consumer electronics; it has been mass produced for a decade and that brings the price down and makes the supply chain more efficient. But when it comes to stationary energy storage and things like the frequency response market, flow is a very viable option. It does not degrade, it can store solar all day, it lasts 20 years and has an unlimited cycle life. The electrolyte never degrades. “It is also very temperature stable and very safe. They [flow and lithium] are both good technologies, but they do very different things.” But this is where redT has broken the mould and done something extraordinary in some ways. In November 2018, it unveiled a 1MWh battery at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, which mixed the two technologies. The flow-lithium battery

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FLOW BATTERIES consisted of 12 vanadium flow units able to output 900kWh and a 120kW lithium-ion battery. Worthington says the idea is that up to 70% of the load is managed by the flow battery with the lithium unit coming online when there are spikes in demand. Price agrees that lithium is the main

competitor. But he also says this dynamic has changed in the past decade and some unfortunate circumstances have partly dictated why flow batteries did not gain the traction they should have at a critical point for the industry. “When we started the IFBF the main battery competition was the

FLOW BATTERY MARKET SIZE AND POTENTIAL The flow battery industry is not an easy one to quantify in terms of global reach. The IFBF’s Price says that while the US Department of Energy storage database showed just under 200MW of flow batteries in 2018, this underestimates the true size and he suggests there are probably more than 400 installations of varying sizes around the world, but not many of more than 1MW. According to a report published in August by ReportsnReports.com, the redox flow battery market is projected to reach $370 million by 2025, a big increase on the $130 million it was valued at in 2018. The report, Global Redox Flow Battery Market, suggests the growth will occur at a compound annual growth rate of 14.3% during the forecast period. In this study, 2018 was considered the base year and 2019 to 2025 the forecast period for estimating market size.

The report says North America and Asia-Pacific are the two largest regions with flow battery installation capacity in the world, with both areas taking more than 80% of the world in 2017. Europe comes next, with about 15% market share. There are more than seven main types of flow batteries in mass production or development stage in the market, dominated by the vanadium flow battery, with a 70% revenue market share. Sumitomo Electric and Dalian Rongke Power are the top two companies and lead in flow batteries with 29% and 19% revenue market share in 2017, respectively. Meanwhile, research by Navigant Research forecasts energy storage will be a $50 billion market within 10 years – and it suggests that flow batteries will capture some 20% of this market.

According to a report published in August by ReportsnReports.com, the redox flow battery market is projected to reach $370 million by 2025, a big increase on the $130 million it was valued at in 2018.

lead acid battery. Since then, lithiumion has come from being a novelty to being mainstream,” he says. “The manufacturers are setting prices which are challenging for many competitors. Of course, this raises the question of how to compare different batteries with totally different characteristics. “There is no C rate for flow batteries — flow batteries normally score most points when they operate in the long-duration mode. In this case, a long-duration battery technology can be a match in terms of cost per kWh for many other battery chemistries.”

Positive predictions

According to MarketsandMarkets, the market for flow batteries — led by vanadium cells and zinc-bromine — could grow to nearly $1 billion annually over the next five years. Price says the evolution of any new technology inevitably goes through different phases and it can be tough to be competitive on price without scale. “The problem the flow battery had for a long time was ensuring a very high manufacturing quality. That is hard without advanced manufacturing used in very large volumes and you don’t have the volume with the customers early on. Lithium went through the same thing in its early years. It took it 15 years to get it off the bench after the technology was first developed. “But flow batteries are getting there now, and over time, they could well take a significant portion of the mid to large size energy storage market. They tick many of the boxes of a desirable energy storage system; they have just got to find a way to penetrate this market. “When the need for energy storage on a large scale first started to explode, flow batteries were not quite ready. Then they had the double whammy of the price of vanadium increasing. But things can now change.”

Iron flow batteries

Iron, which is cheap and good at grabbing and giving up electrons, is another promising alternative in terms of flow batteries. Investors seem to agree. Oregon company ESS, for example, recently secured $30 million in a Series C investment round led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and SoftBank Group’s SB Energy. The new funding will be used to expand and automate the manufac-

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FLOW BATTERIES global insurance provider Munich Re, which is providing a 10-year insurance policy on its products. The policy provides investmentgrade warranty backstop for the company’s technology — supporting its performance guarantee regardless of project size or location — and also offers a project cover to address technology risk and business continuity risk. “This type of policy helps early stage manufacturers manage risk by capping spending on costly battery module repairs, while also providing financial security for project developers wary of investing in alternatives to lithium-ion chemistry,” McDermott says.

No hazmat, fire hazards

Hugh McDermott, senior vice president of business development and sales at ESS

turing process of ESS’s second-generation iron flow battery technology. Hugh McDermott, senior vice president of business development and sales at ESS, says that advances in the technology ESS has developed will open up whole new markets for the battery. Its first generation 50kW/400kWh Energy Warehouse (EW) iron flow battery was a long-duration (4+ hours) energy storage system that provided energy and power solutions for commercial and industrial, utility and microgrid/off grid applications. It was capable of up to eight continuous hours of energy delivery with a 20+ year operating life and no capacity degradation. In contrast, its recently released second-generation power module is designed to provide up to 10 hours of energy storage capacity at a higher power level. The 100kW/400kWh EW has an operating life that exceeds 20,000 cycles with low maintenance requirements. “It aligns with the 25-year life span of solar and wind projects, and sup-

ports those applications’ low levelized cost of energy requirements,” McDermott says. “Concurrent with serving these applications, the EW’s inherent quickresponse power electronics can perform ancillary services such as voltage and frequency support on microgrids and utility-scale uses.” He adds that the second-generation power module is also used in its Energy Center platform, which is a designbuild “battery-in-a-building” that enables systems to be tailored to meet virtually any project size with storage durations ranging up to 10 hours. “These wide-ranging capabilities make the EC suitable for supporting large-scale renewable energy projects, as well as transmission- and distribution-level services, without cycling limits,” he says. McDermott says that one of the biggest challenges for flow battery companies in the energy storage industry is the potential financial risk associated with project investment. But there are solutions to hand. ESS has taken a unique step to eliminate this concern. It has partnered with

One of the biggest challenges for flow battery companies in the energy storage industry is the potential financial risk associated with project investment ... but there are solutions to hand 84 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

As in the case of the vanadium flow battery companies, one of its biggest challenges is competing against lithium-ion products — and it highlights what sets it apart in this sense. Its iron flow battery chemistry utilizes foodgrade iron, salt and water for the electrolyte, which, McDermott says, means there are no hazmat, fire or explosive hazards. And the materials are 100% recyclable. The electrolyte is also stored and maintained within a closed, sealed system; no electrolyte augmentation, top-up or make-up water is required for the life of the system, and it can operate in environments with temperatures up to 52°C (125°F) with no need for cooling. “Long system life, combined with a multi-cycling capability with no degradation, is what makes our iron flow batteries the lowest-cost energy storage systems for long-duration applications commercially available,” McDermott says. McDermott says utility-scale longduration energy storage is increasingly gaining market traction as use cases increase, and he expects the company’s scalable Energy Center will follow suit. With the new round of funding secured, the company looks set for further growth. McDermott says that in the last 18 months, ESS has signed five international partnership agreements covering four continents as well as securing an insurance offering, a first in the industry. “In the year ahead we’re looking to expand our installation base, build out our manufacturing capacity to 1GW per year, and further establish

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FLOW BATTERIES

Simon Hackett, system integration architect at Redflow

our iron flow batteries as a safe, lowcost alternative to lithium-ion and other storage technologies,” he says.

Zinc bromine options too

Zinc bromine is another form of chemistry used in flow batteries, with the main advantage over vanadium being its cost: where vanadium is scarce, zinc and bromine are a thousand times more abundant. The zinc bromine battery relies on the reaction between a zinc cathode and a bromine anode. Like vanadium flow batteries, the electrolyte is usually housed in two tanks, one contain-

ing an aqueous solution of zinc, the other, bromine. It uses two pumps and flow loops with two sets of pipes carrying the electrolytes into the stacks. The system uses two separate loops because the electrodes in each battery cell are separated by a microporous, ion exchange membrane. Redflow is an energy storage firm based in Australia that makes two models of zinc bromine flow batteries. “When energy is being stored, the battery deposits zinc out of a zinc bromine solution on to special membranes inside the battery stack,” says Simon

“Most systems are lithium ion, but there is a fade — which is okay in your cell phone, you can replace that every three years. But you wouldn’t want to go to the substation every three years to replace it if it happens on the grid.” — Tom Stepien

Tom Stepien, CEO of Primus Power

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Hackett, Redflow’s system integration architect. “The zinc layer returns into the zinc bromine solution when energy is delivered from the battery back to a customer workload.” Redflow makes ZCell and ZBM2 batteries, designed for high cycle rate, long time-base stationary energy storage applications in residential, commercial and industrial applications. In May, the company signed an agreement with Chinese zinc bromine flow battery company ZbestPower to supply 100kWh of storage with 10 of its ZBM2 flow batteries in a demonstration project for the Haidong Transportation Group in the remote province of Qinghai. Not all zinc bromine batteries house their electrolyte in two tanks: California-based Primus Power says its battery is unique in using just one. “Our electrolyte is in a single tank, in which we exploit the difference between the densities without using a membrane,” says co-founder and CEO Tom Stepien. Named EnergyPod 2, Primus Power’s battery boasts five full hours’ storage with no energy storage fade over time, and a 20-year life expectancy. “There’s no perfect battery, you always get less out than you put in,” says Stepien. “Most systems are lithium ion, but there is a fade — which is okay in your cell phone, you can replace that every three years. But you wouldn’t want to go to the substation every three years to replace it if it happens on the grid. “There’s also a fire concern — there was a big fire in Arizona earlier this year,” he says. Primus Power says its systems are in use up and down California, and utilities, wind farms and solar farms are currently testing them. Stepien said there would also be a residential version coming out in the future. It’s early days for Primus Power, but the company is determined to pull through. “We are not quite at a bankable stage yet but we will get there,” says Stepien. “Our biggest detriment is that we are early. “There will be a number of winners in this space, and flow is good for deep discharge, multiple hour storage, even week-long storage. We have systems up and down California, in water treatment plants, and utilities are testing our batteries. We will be bringing out a residential version and as a company we are going from a single-digit million dollar company to a doubledigit million dollar company.”

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FLOW BATTERIES • POLYMERS

Putting polymers into the box A battery membrane technology developed by researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory may point to a break-through in flow battery development, according to its researchers this November. The researchers have developed a versatile battery membrane from polymers known as AquaPIMs. These, they say, make long-lasting and low-cost grid batteries possible based solely on materials such as zinc, iron, and water. The team also developed a simple model showing how different battery membranes affect the lifetime of the battery, which should accelerate early stage R&D for flow-battery technologies, particularly in the search for a suitable membrane for different battery chemistries. “Our AquaPIM membrane technology is well positioned to accelerate the path to market for flow batteries that use scalable, low-cost, water-based chemistries,” said Brett Helms, a principal investigator in the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) and staff scientist at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry who led the study. “By using our technology and accompanying empirical models for battery performance and lifetime, other researchers will be able to quickly evaluate the readiness of each component that goes into the battery, from the membrane to the charge-storing materials. This should save time and resources for researchers and product developers alike.” Most grid battery chemistries have highly alkaline (or basic) electrodes — a positively charged cathode on one side, and a negatively charged anode on the other side. But current state-of-theart membranes are designed for acidic chemistries, such as the fluorinated membranes found in fuel cells, but not for alkaline flow batteries. Fluorinated polymer membranes are also expensive. According to Helms, they can make up 15% to 20% of the battery’s cost, which can run in the range of $300/kWh. One way to drive down the cost is to eliminate the fluorinated polymer membranes and come up with a high-performing yet cheaper alternative such as AquaPIMs, said Miranda Baran, a graduate student researcher in Helms’ research group and the study’s lead author. Baran is also a PhD. student in the Department of

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Chemistry at UC Berkeley. Helms and co-authors discovered the AquaPIM technology — which stands for “aqueous-compatible polymers of intrinsic microporosity” — while developing polymer membranes for aqueous alkaline (or basic) systems as part of a collaboration with co-author Yet-Ming Chiang, a principal investigator in JCESR and Kyocera professor of materials science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Through these early experiments, the researchers learned that membranes modified with an exotic chemical called an “amidoxime” allowed ions to quickly travel between the anode and cathode. Later, while evaluating AquaPIM membrane performance and compatibility with different grid battery chemistries — for example, one experimental setup used zinc as the anode and an iron-based compound as the cathode — the researchers discovered that AquaPIM membranes lead to remarkably stable alkaline cells. In addition, they found that the AquaPIM prototypes retained the integrity of the charge-storing materials in the cathode as well as in the anode. When the researchers characterized the membranes at Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Light Source (ALS), the researchers found that these characteristics were universal across AquaPIM variants. Baran and her collaborators then tested how an AquaPIM membrane would perform with an aqueous alkaline electrolyte. In this experiment, they discovered that under alkaline conditions, polymer-bound amidoximes are stable — a surprising result considering that organic materials are not typically stable at high pH. Such stability prevented the AquaPIM membrane pores from collapsing, thus allowing them to stay conductive without any loss in performance over time, whereas the pores of a commercial fluoro-polymer membrane collapsed as expected, to the detriment of its ion transport properties, Helms explained. This behavior was corroborated with theoretical studies by Artem Baskin, a postdoctoral researcher working with David Prendergast, who is the acting director of Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry and a principal investigator in JCESR along with Chiang and Helms. Baskin simulated structures of AquaPIM membranes using computational

resources at Berkeley Lab’s National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) and found that the structure of the polymers making up the membrane were significantly resistant to pore collapse under highly basic conditions in alkaline electrolytes. While evaluating AquaPIM membrane performance and compatibility with different grid battery chemistries, the researchers developed a model that tied the performance of the battery to the performance of various membranes. This model could predict the lifetime and efficiency of a flow battery without having to build an entire device. They also showed that similar models could be applied to other battery chemistries and their membranes. “Typically, you’d have to wait weeks if not months to figure out how long a battery will last after assembling the entire cell. By using a simple and quick membrane screen, you could cut that down to a few hours or days,” Helms said. The researchers next plan to apply AquaPIM membranes across a broader scope of aqueous flow battery chemistries, from metals and inorganics to organics and polymers. They also anticipate that these membranes are compatible with other aqueous alkaline zinc batteries, including batteries that use either oxygen, manganese oxide, or metal-organic frameworks as the cathode. Researchers from Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia participated in the study. This work was supported by the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), an Energy Innovation Hub funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science. Additional funding was provided by the Center for Gas Separations Relevant to Clean Energy Technologies, a DOE Office of Science Energy Frontier Research Center. Portions of the work, including polymer synthesis and characterization, were carried out at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry, a DOE Office of Science User Facility that specializes in nanoscale science. The study also used GIWAXS (grazing-incidence wide angle X-ray scattering) instruments at the ALS to characterize the AquaPIMs, and super-computing resources at NERSC to model the polymer. The ALS and NERSC are US DOE Office of Science User Facilities.

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EVENT REVIEW: UK BATTERY & ENERGY STORAGE UK Battery & Energy Storage • Birmingham, UK •. December 4-5, 2019

The boom years beckon but still much for industry to do

“It will take a very long time for us to reach a state where we are confronted by mountains of Li-ion waste” — Hans Eric Melin, Circular Energy Storage

“We are looking for the regulatory stability and market stability necessary for renewables to flourish.” — Nick Heyward, Statkraft

Projects in the pipeline, include a vehicle-to-grid charging project, E-Flex, and Home Response, a twoyear pilot testing energy solutions in around 160 London homes — Shaun Gibbons, Greater London Authority

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A December report by Renewable-UK, the energy trade association, says more than 10,500MW of battery storage planning applications were made in 2019, up from just under 6,900MW a year ago. This is a remarkable number given that in 2012 there were just 2MW of applications, the report says. Such rapid acceleration means there is more of a need for collaboration and co-operation across the energy sector than ever before, and this was one of the key themes coming out of this year’s Battery and Energy Storage Conference in Birmingham, England. Touted by organizer Internet of Business as the only cross-industry event in the UK, it is the third annual event and this year the number of registered attendees rose to 160. In the opening panel looking at industry developments since 2018, senior consultant at DNV-GL, said that for the UK market to become competitive, it needed a more functional supply chain. Other opening panellists included senior energy analyst Lara Juergens, from the Energy Industries Council; Clean Horizon Consulting’s head of market analysis, Corentin Baschet; and Martin Bowson, Battery Systems lead with the Warwick Manufacturing Group. They stressed the importance of cross-sectional markets and the need for energy storage to mix with the renewables industry, as well as funding hurdles. “The Faraday Institution is doing great things in research and development within the auto industry; it would be great for that funding to diversify into other sectors,” said Chris Lawley a senior consultant at DNVGL. William Kirk-Wilson, operability strategy manager at the National Grid, said batteries and storage were essential to meet challenges for the utility in terms of frequency control, voltage control, restoration, and stability. A panel then discussed how, through collaboration with the National Grid, utility providers could create value

from investing in renewable energy. Nick Heyward, head of UK Storage at hydropower company Statkraft, said: “We are looking for the regulatory stability and market stability necessary for renewables to flourish.”

Working with local governments

A late morning panel including representatives from Nottingham, Coventry and Greater London city councils discussed the need for sector coupling and cross-sector collaboration. “In the industry there appears to be more talk more than action,” said panel chair Julian Hansen, senior market analyst from information firm HIS Markit. “We need strategies and plans to be translated into actual projects, and that can be realized by local authorities working together and collaborating with the private sector.” He said progress was hindered by the complicated processes that local authorities have to follow to procure joint ventures between the public and private sectors, and that experts were needed within the ‘green agenda’ to liaise between the two. “It is difficult to consolidate all of the different issues presented to a local authority and be able to decide which projects take precedence,” said Shamala Evans, project manager at Coventry City Council. “There is a clear need for someone to disseminate information from multiple sectors and be able to focus on the main ways of tackling climate change. “We would like to see a massive push within the community. People need to understand the issues in order to engage with them. With a community push comes more resources allocated to environmental issues.” She said the potential for ‘people power’ within rural communities was huge but largely forgotten, and that individual communities should work together to fund energy efficient and eco-friendly projects. Shaun Gibbons, project manager of Smart Energy Systems Development

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EVENT REVIEW: UK BATTERY & ENERGY STORAGE for the Greater London Authority, said there were several projects in the pipeline, including a vehicle-to-grid charging project, E-Flex, which uses batteries as a twoway energy source using the vehicle battery and selling surplus power to the grid; Home Response, a twoyear pilot that will test energy solutions with Batteries ever more vital Nottingham one of four The growth potential of battery storage technology to meet utility challenges cities taking part in an hydrogen is huge… but in around 160 London — William Kirk-Wilson, EU-funded vehicle-to-grid a lack of bankable return homes; and FlexLondon, National Grid trial — Michael Gallagher, on investment — Ewan a program that identifies Nottingham City Council Murray, Atkins Global organizations with the potential to use, generate and store energy at various times of needs large-scale adoption before 168,000 tonnes of which will have the day or year, and match them with savings can be made, he said, but reached the end of their life by 2025, innovators that can help manage it. reiterating the theme of collaboration it will take a very long time for us to The aim, Gibbons said, was for the between industries he said the public reach a state where we are confronted projects to enable more renewable could be educated and informed about by mountains of Li-ion waste,” Melin energy generation in London and alternative energy projects. said. manage demand on the grid. Murray described the HyNet North Asia would be the key, Melin said, Another example of a successful West project, a proposed hydrogen where portable device recycling was project with local government was energy and carbon capture, usage and already a successful market, especially presented by Jerry Stokes, executive storage project spanning Liverpool, in China. chairman of energy deployment firm Manchester and parts of Cheshire, “If a company wants to get into Gridserve. which comprised multiple technologies the business of recycling batteries, it Gridserve has completed one of and companies working together. makes much more sense for them to the UK’s most advanced hybrid solar “With public acceptance, the manufacture those batteries in the first farms, the York Project, which has opportunities could be huge: more place. This is something that China bifacial solar panels with single-axis jobs, decarbonization in the shorter does very well,” he said. trackers installed on a 198-acre site. term, and increased security and UK firm Connected Energy is Warrington Borough Council paid for independence of the UK energy focusing on the second-life battery the project, which with 30MWh of industry,” he said. market and is already setting an lithium battery cells should be enough With all the development there will example of a ‘circular economy’, to power around 13,000 homes for the need to be regulation, which was managing both production and next 30 years, Stokes said. emphasized by Nicolas Good, senior consumption to extend the life cycle of Michael Gallagher, regional energy data scientist at Upside Energy. He its products. projects manager at Nottingham City concentrated on three areas: domestic, Connected Energy promoted the Council, said the authority was one of vehicle-to-grid and the decentralization second life use of batteries in the four cities taking part in an EU-funded of energy systems. automotive and energy markets, with vehicle-to-grid trial. It has ordered 40 “Despite the potential for robust plans to accelerate their adaptation for new electric vehicles with plans to use investment in all three of these areas, the energy storage systems industry. them as part of an integrated system the business case for domestic energy Further afield is Northvolt, a Swedish combining vehicles, battery storage, storage is heavily dependent on battery manufacturer which, he said, solar PV and a smart management regulation,” he said. claimed to ‘conscientiously source system. raw materials and maintain a minimal While most of the day focused on Lithium battery recycling environmental footprint through battery technology and innovation, issues production’. Northvolt is working Ewan Murray, mechanical engineer Hans Eric Melin, founder of Circular on a model for recycling lithium-ion at engineering and design company Energy Storage Research and batteries that will enable the elemental Atkins Global, said by 2050 30% of Consulting, wrapped up the day’s talks metals to be recovered and refined. the UK’s energy could be coming from with a presentation on lithium battery “What will drive battery recycling is hydrogen. recycling. Melin was confident that, the value held in those batteries at the “The growth potential of hydrogen is despite the future predicament posed end of their life,” said Melin. “In terms huge,” Murray said, although because by lithium waste, it is an issue the of companies involved in recycling, the long-term funding strategies were still industry need not worry about… yet. highest bidder will get the batteries, not clear there was perceived to be a “Although there is an expected 40 and the highest bidder will most likely lack of bankable return on investment. million tonnes of Li-ion batteries be one who will reuse those batteries Hydrogen is also a technology that expected on the market by 2030, or the components within them.”

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EVENT REVIEW — ILZDA ILZDA • Mumbai, India • December 2-3, 2019

Excitement as India marches to an energy storage future Facing challenges and working together to overcome them was one of the key messages shared by speakers opening the ‘International Conference on Lead and Lead Batteries – Energy Storage, E-Mobility and Environment’ in Mumbai in early December. Hosted by the India Lead Zinc Development Association with the ILA and the India Lead and Zinc Study Group, the conference was opened by economist and policy commentator Guruswamy Chandrashekhar. Calling the conference’s presenters a ‘glittering gallery of distinguished speakers’, Chandrashekhar said the lead battery industry had been threatened with disappearance for years and had still not gone anywhere. “In India lead batteries were used in miners’ lamps to begin with,” he said. “Then forklift trucks. Then the automotive sector used them, then

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the railways and communications sectors. “Then India had massive power shortages, some of them lasting for hours, and everyone would have a couple of batteries to back up — then UPS had lead batteries. They were then used in mobile telecoms towers. “The product was written off — yet it kept expanding, and now there are opportunities in renewable energy. India has plenty of sun. The potential is huge.” ILA managing director Andy Bush was presented with copies of a new booklet produced by L Pugazhenthy (Pug) and ILZDA, Lead and You — Working Safely with Lead, published especially for the conference. Over the following two days many speakers embellished the theme with papers on improved health and safety measures being taken by firms across the industry.

One surprise feature of the first morning session was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement in Lead Award to Mark Stevenson — for full details see the People section in this magazine.

Exide pushes the boundaries

One of the most exciting presentations came from Dipak Chaudhuri, head of research and development at Exide Industries. He started with the announcement that the perception lead batteries were unsuitable for battery energy storage systems was nothing more than that — a perception. He said the task facing the lead battery industry was to counter this ‘confused perception’. Exide is already deploying test projects at sites across India and was particularly excited by two advanced lead products — a tubular gel battery and the UltraBattery, which combines a traditional battery with a supercapacitor. Chaudhuri’s comments are all the more motivational for the lead battery industry in that he is one of the key figures in Exide’s R&D program into lithium. In October, Exide said it would begin assembling lithium ion batteries in December under a contract with Swiss battery maker Leclanché. The news comes four months after the two firms agreed a joint venture, with Exide in control of 75%, Leclanché 25%. Chaudhuri said Exide was also looking at bipolar batteries. The firm is one of seven licensees of Advanced Battery Concepts’ GreenSeal technology. Chaudhuri, who has been associated with the battery storage industry for the past 35 years, said features of the tubular gel battery were that it could handle extended PSOC operation without any deterioration of life or performance and could deliver more than 3,000 cycles at 50% DOD. Its charge rate at 0.6C at 1 hour is exceptional, with a recharge efficiency of 90% or more.

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EVENT REVIEW — ILZDA “In terms of cost, it will remain unchallenged, if one takes into consideration scrap recovery,” said Chaudhuri. “It is likely to be half of the best expected of competing chemistries in the future!” He gave an example of an existing 100kW/200kWh containerized storage system at the firm’s site in Hosur in Tamil Nadu, which has a bank of 600 tubular gel, 2V, 840Ah batteries that is being used for energy shifting and PV smoothing. The other advanced lead battery design Exide is enthusiastic about is the UltraBattery, a supercap/lead hybrid designed by Ecoult a decade ago. In August last year the firm signed an agreement with the Furukawa Battery Company, which allows it to make and sell the UltraBattery. Chaudhuri said that previous tests on three telecoms towers in 2017 showed that while installation of the UltraBattery was more expensive than regular batteries, the payback time through the savings on diesel was as little as four months. Ed Shaffer, founder of bipolar battery firm Advanced Battery Concepts said Exide was well positioned to rapidly install scale capacity and bring this technology to India. “We’ve managed to get energy storage down to $0.17/kWh and we see that $0.06/kWh will be achievable,” he said in his presentation. “Given that peaker plants produce electricity at $0.02-0.03/kWh, energy storage with bipolar batteries will become a game changer.”

his aims was to enhance transparency through the publication of accurate and reliable information and promote cooperation between governments and the metals and mining industries. “Despite the cutting down of lead in certain things, lead has continued to grow, mainly because of the automotive sector,” he said. “It can also play a leading role in the energy storage markets, particularly with renewable energy.” ILA consultant Brian Wilson, who has 15 years’ experience of working in India, said he had seen improvements in health, safety and the environment — but that ‘if India is to reap the benefits of green energy and E mobility its environmental performance has to be increased’. Harssha Shetty, chief marketing officer with Hindustan Zinc, said lead batteries were the best suited for wind and solar applications but that in India, most recycling was being done illegally. In his opening paper the following day, Mark Stevenson reiterated that point, calling the practice ‘rogue

smelting’ and that much greater attention needed to be focused on this at an institutional level. Andy Bush said the energy storage and E mobility sectors were facing serious competition with lithium ion and other technologies. “Industry has to find ways to work together to drive innovation in battery performance and make lead batteries in ways our industry has not done in the past, so that batteries meet the performance needs of battery users for years to come,” he said. “Lead is a toxic substance, there’s no way of getting away from that. In Europe it’s very well studied and we know how to manage it well. There’s no reason why it can’t be managed to fully protect people and the environment so that society can enjoy all the benefits it has to offer. “And yet, around the world it’s not always managed in the most sustainable way. I can’t stress enough how important it is to find solutions to this, around the world and across the battery chain, and the ILA is making this a key priority.

Transparency

Issues about transparency at a government and business level were also a recurrent theme of the conference — something vitally important as India faces the challenges of dealing with illegal work practices and an informal smelting sector, which is hazardous in scale to public health. Luminous Technologies’ senior vice president for operations and R&D, Amlan Kanti Das, gave an excellent talk to show how the firm had step by step raised the bar from its early more difficult days as a new lead battery manufacturer to meet international standards of compliance in its health and safety procedures and the ways it had achieved this. João Jorge, director-market research and statistics for the ILZSG (India Lead Zinc Study Group), said one of

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS Solar, Storage & Smart Energy Expo: Northern California

European PV & Energy Storage Market Briefing 2020

January 16-17 San Francisco, USA

February 1 Düsseldorf, Germany

California’s aggressive renewable goals and latest policies give the Golden State even more opportunities to grow. California has set a goal of having 100% of energy come from renewable sources by 2045. In addition to this ambitious goal, California also passed a law stating that all new homes are required to install solar. Join us this January and we’ll guide you through the policy and market changes, and set your company up to grow your business. Hear from utility, private sector, and non-profit leaders from throughout the region, alongside multiple networking opportunities designed to connect you with other solar & storage professionals.

EuPD Research is delighted to announce the 2020 edition of its flagship event European Solar & Storage Market Briefing! Recognized as one of the most content-driven events throughout Europe, the EuPD Research family will once again reveal its brand new market data covering both solar and energy storage trends impacting the industries in the upcoming year. By joining us, you will not only be perfectly prepared to successfully compete in the marketplace, but also get the chance to catch-up with your European industry peers in an energizing environment: • Gain a profound understanding on market forecasts, customers’ buying behaviour, product sourcing and price indices • Learn what product (features) installers and end customers are looking for in tomorrow’s marketplace • Understand the diversity of national regulatory frameworks and adapt your strategy accordingly

Contact SEIA & SEPA Tel: +1 703 738 9460 www.events.solar/exponorth/

International Conference on Advanced Batteries, Accumulators, and Fuel Cells Conference January 30-31 Dubai, UAE The conference aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of advanced batteries, accumulators and fuel cells. The conference also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in these fields. Contact WASET-World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology www.waset.org/advanced-batteriesaccumulators-and-fuel-cells-conference-injanuary-2020-in-dubai#

Contact EuPD Research www.jointforces4solar.com/events/ event/12th-european-solar-storage-marketbriefing/

11th Annual NAATBatt Meeting And Conference February 10-13 Pasadena, USA

The 11th Annual Meeting of NAATBatt International will set a new standard for meeting amenities and networking opportunities for senior executives in the North American battery industry. NAATBatt has decided to move its 2020 meeting and conference from March to February to avoid the exceedingly busy month of March on the battery conference circuit. Contact NAATBatt International Tel: +1 312 588 0477 Email: info@naatbatt.org www.naatbatt.org/2020conference/

Intersolar North America February 4-6 • San Diego, California USA As the first major solar + storage event of the year in North America, Intersolar North America highlights the latest energy technologies, services, companies, and organizations striving to create positive impact on climate change and support our planet’s transition into a more sustainable energy future. Attendees get in-depth technical training, hands-on product workshops, trends, and education from top experts. Experience the solar industry’s best practices for the design, installation, and maintenance of codecompliant PV and storage systems. Tour the expo floor to review the best-in-class companies and the top solutions, services, and products for the year ahead. Exhibitors meet thousands of solar and energy storage professionals from around the world, do business face-to-face, and network to meet new prospects and customers. Contact Diversified Communications Tel: +1(207) 842-5500 www.intersolar.us

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS Lithium Mine to Market, Australia 2020

International Zinc and Zinc Oxide Conferences

February 12-13 Perth, Australia

February 16-19 Scottsdale, AZ. USA

The Western Australian lithium industry is dynamic and currently undergoing a period of change, in that it is transforming its traditional mining output into lithium chemical production. New government policies are now being discussed to develop the lithium downstream industry even further. This could represent a momentous shift for the industry, with Western Australia potentially incentivised to become a source of materials for the manufacturers of batteries and-beyond that-cell and pack manufacturing. Roskill’s inaugural Lithium Mine to Market, Australia 2020 Conference offers you the opportunity to discover what is really happening in the lithium supply chain. The conference will bring together a high profile list of expert speakers to offer insights and supply and market outlooks for the current situation in Australia and further afield. It will also give you the chance to meet and network with key decision makers across the entire lithium supply chain.

The 2020 International Zinc Conference is one of the premier zinc events of the year, highlighting key industry trends and challenges and providing a unique opportunity to learn about new research and market trends. Both conferences offer excellent opportunities for building business relationships and networking with colleagues. The conferences can be booked individually or as a package.

Contact Roskill Tel: +44 20 8417 0087 www.roskill.com/event/lithium-mine-tomarket-australia-2020/

6th Annual Energy Storage Policy Forum February 13 Washington DC, Washington. USA Featuring nationally recognized policymakers and energy thought-leaders, the ESA Annual Policy Forum convenes a select audience of stakeholders from across the energy ecosystem - including state and federal regulators, policymakers, storage industry members, utility decision makers, and power sector stakeholders.

Contact International Zinc Association Tel: +1 919 361 4647 Website: www.zinc.org/2020-internationalzinc-zinc-oxide-conferences/

ACI’s Battery recycling Europe Summit February 19 – 20 London, UK The conference will bring together Battery Recycling industry experts, collection scheme operators and battery manufacturers to learn, share and discuss the current and emerging topics in the Battery Recycling industry. The two day event will give you an insight on the newest recycling technologies, latest updates in policy and

London hosts both ACI’s Battery recycling Europe Summit & Energy Storage Summit in February.

regulations, and commercial benefits of recycling spent power batteries. ACI’s Battery Recycling Europe will also showcase future opportunities in the Battery Recycling Market and blend together inspirational keynotes, informative sessions, and wonderful networking opportunities. Contact ACI – Active Communications International www.wplgroup.com/aci/event/batteryrecycling-europe/

Electric Vehicles Battery Tech 2020 February 24-25 • Los Angeles, CA. USA Battery Tech 2020: where electric vehicle battery technology innovators will meet with leading automotive manufacturers to explore new battery technologies and battery management systems for use in next generation electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. Contact IQ Hub • Tel: +1 206 582 0128 www.usa.battery-technology-conference.com

Contact Energy Storage Association Tel: +1 202 293-0537 www.pf.energystorage-events.org

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The Battery and Energy Storage

CONFERENCE WATCH MONTHLY The definitive guide to battery energy storage conferences and meetings for the year ahead

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE Contact Jade Beevor jade@energystoragejournal.com

FORTHCOMING EVENTS Energy Storage Summit February 25-26 London, UK

Interbat March 4-6 • Moscow, Russia

The largest UK downstream focused event addressing energy storage returns to London in February 2020. It includes four streams filled with developers, financiers, utilities, networks and aggregators discussing standalone storage, along with co-located and C&I applications. Contact Solar Media Tel: +44 207 871 0122 www.storagesummit.solarenergyevents.com

Resource Recycling Expo 2020 February 26-28 Tokyo, Japan A newly launched show specialising in recycling technologies & services of renewable energy resources such as solar panels and rechargeable batteries. The 2nd Resource Recycling Expo will be held inside world’s largest-scale smart energy show-World Smart Energy Week 2020. Contact Reed Exhibitions Japan Tel: +81-3-3349-8576 www.recycling-expo.jp/en-gb.html

Intersolar Middle East Conference March 3-5 Dubai, UAE In 2019 Intersolar teamed up with Middle East Electricity. These two leading global energy exhibitions have embarked on a partnership of on-going collaboration to co-deliver a solar event at Middle East Electricity. The new event will build upon the already strong solar offering, with the aim of providing a platform which best serves the trends and investment opportunities in the renewable energy industry. The Intersolar Middle East conference focuses on photovoltaics, PV production technologies, and solar thermal technologies. Since its foundation, Intersolar has become the most important industry platform for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers and partners of the global solar industry. Intersolar at Middle East Electricity is the largest gathering of solar industry professionals in the Middle East & Africa, offering the most effective trade-focused forum for international manufacturers and distributors looking to meet regional buyers. Contact Intersolar www.intersolar.ae/en/home.html

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For the 29th consecutive year, Russia’s battery storage association — better known as INTERBAT — has brought together Russian and international battery manufacturers and suppliers to meet in this the most prestigious specialized exhibition and trade fair. Subjects of the exhibition include: • Lead acid starter, traction & stationary batteries • Alkaline batteries • Primary batteries

• Lithium batteries • Small power supply & charges • Material, components & equipment for battery manufacturing • Battery recycling Contact International Association “INTERBAT” & National Association of Power Sources Manufacturers “RUSBAT” Tel: +7 499 248 4653 Email: interbat@interbat.ru www.interbat.ru/index-e.htm

Graphene Automotive March 5-6 Detroit, Michigan. USA This year’s conference is set to become the world’s leading exhibition and conference exclusively for graphene researchers and automotive manufacturers to meet and explore new uses of graphene in automotives, and to address the specific challenges associated with the commercialisation of graphene for use in a multitude of new applications. This exhibition and conference will provide a forum for all stakeholders, from researchers and suppliers in the graphene industry, to end user manufacturers, to network and build crossmarket relationships and to discuss the latest developments in graphene use in new automotive applications. Contact IQ Hub Email: delegates@iQ-Hub.com www.usa.graphene-automotive-conference. com

Detroit hosts Graphene Automotive in March

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS International Advanced Battery Power March 23 – 25 Münster, Germany

Düsseldorf, Germany

Energy Storage Europe March 10 -12 Düsseldorf, Germany Those who would like to get to know the entire world of energy storage, its leading technologies and key-figures, for those there is only one destination: Energy Storage Europe in Düsseldorf. The unrivalled focus on the topic of energy storage can only be found here in Düsseldorf. Only here the entire range of technologies in all its diversity can be discovered: Electrical, thermal, chemical and mechanical solutions. Only here the energy storage of future energy systems can already be experienced today. Contact Messe Düsseldorf Caroline Markowski Tel: +49 211/4560-7281 www.energy-storage-online.com

22nd International Conference on Lithium Batteries —ICLB March 12 – 13 Miami, FL. USA The ICLB 2020 aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of Lithium Batteries. It provides the premier interdisciplinary forum for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns, practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted in the field of Lithium Batteries.

The conference Advanced Battery Power offers an excellent platform for companies, research institutes, universities and individuals to present their work and results in battery technology to a wide expert public. As in previous years, scientists, developers and engineers from across the entire battery value chain are again expected to attend the 12th International Symposium “Advanced Battery Power – Kraftwerk Batterie” in Münster, Germany. The most advanced firsthand and cross-industry information on all aspects of battery development and applications are both the mandate and the appeal of the Advanced Battery Power Symposium and Battery Day NRW before it. About 750 participants from all over the world, 34 exhibiting companies and almost 100 speakers at three conference days give the Battery Conference 2020 in Aachen a promising start to become again one of the highlights of the growing battery business worldwide. Contact Haus Der Technik Brigitte Doleschel Tel: +49 (0) 179-341-4328 Email: b.doleschel@hdt.de www.battery-power.eu/en/

Battery Tech Expo March 26 Northampton, UK The Battery industry is on the cusp of a power revolution with big technology companies investing heavily in the next generation of battery development and energy storage. The event will provide a unique opportunity to showcase the latest products, technologies and services covering the Battery Management Systems, EV Battery, Battery Storage, Battery Development/ Discovery, Commercial and Mobile Power Device sectors. Contact 10fourmedia Tel: +44 1283 815 719 Email: david.reeks@10fourmedia.co.uk www.batterytechexpo.co.uk

Northampton, UK

EV Infrastructure Summit 2020 March 25-26 • London, UK The second edition of the EV Infrastructure Summit (25-26 March) will focus on the opportunities and challenges involved in establishing a UKwide charging infrastructure as part of the transition to zero emission vehicles. By the date of the summit, it is anticipated that OLEV will have published its proposals for high power charging, which will make the event very timely. It is also possible that the Chancellor will have delivered the Autumn State-

ment before the conference, which will include a budgetary allocation for the delivery of OLEV’s high power charging plan. Contact City and Financial Global Tel: 020 3713 1631 www.cityandfinancialconferences.com/ events/ev-infrastructure-summit-2020/ event-summary-b0d3c5220b174f1b86d27e2167b24287.aspx

Contact WASET – World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology www.waset.org/lithium-batteries-conference-in-march-2020-in-miami#

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11th International Conference on Lead-Acid Batteries 9-12 June 2020, Golden Sands, Bulgaria

LABAT’2020

LABAT is a globally recognized scientific forum gathering leading battery experts, technologists and academic researchers from all over the world. LABAT’2020 will be held in the magnificent Golden Sands resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. THE PROGRAM INCLUDES Technical sessions focused on the latest research achievements and developments in the field of lead-acid battery technology and operation ● Exhibition fair as perfect opportunity for promotion of new products and services ● Gaston Plante Medal presentation ceremony ● Social events for an effective professional networking ●

LABAT’2020 MAIN TOPICS ● ● ● ● ● ●

Fundamentals of Lead-Acid Battery Electrochemistry Advances in Lead Battery Technology, Manufacture and Recycling Innovations and New Materials for Lead-Acid Batteries Advanced Lead Batteries for Automotive and Energy Storage Applications Battery Management Systems, State-of-Charge, State-of-Health Modelling and Simulation of Lead-Acid Battery Systems

ORGANIZED BY

CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT

Lead-Acid Batteries Department, Institute of Electrochemistry & Energy Systems, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences www.labatscience.com

Mrs. Mariana Gerganska Secretary of LABAT’2020 gerganska@labatscience.com Tel/Fax: +359 2 8731552

IMPORTANT DATES Short Abstract submission / Reduced exhibition fee - 10% Early bird registration / Extended Abstract submission Reduced exhibition fee - 5%

30.10.2019 15.03.2020 15.03.2020

FORTHCOMING EVENTS 30th Annual Energy Storage Association Conference & Expo April 8-10 Phoenix, Arizona. USA The 30th Annual Conference and Expo is the industry’s premiere conference and networking event. It is the most influential gathering of market leaders, customers, decision makers, and technology innovators. Attending will provide you with new strategies, new connections and innovative ideas that will move your organization forward. Istanbul, Turkey

2020 International Zinc Conference Europe March 30-April 1 Istanbul, Turkey In addition to providing an update on key market trends, including supply and demand for concentrates and metal, sustainable development, first use markets with a focus on hot dip and continuous galvanizing, innovative applications and regulatory issues, this 1.5-day conference offers excellent networking opportunities. The conference will be complemented by an optional plant tour to a galvanizing plant. Contact International Zinc Association Tel: +1 919 361 4647 www.zinc.org/international-zincconference-europe-2020/

37th International Battery Seminar and Exhibit March 30-April 2 Orlando, Florida. USA Founded in 1983, the International Battery Seminar & Exhibit has established itself as the premier event showcasing the state of the art of worldwide energy storage technology developments for consumer, automotive, military, and industrial applications. Key thought leaders will assemble to not only provide broad perspectives, but also informed insights into significant advances in materials, product development, manufacturing, and application for all battery systems and enabling technologies. As the longest-running annual battery industry event in the world, this meeting has always been the preferred venue to announce significant developments, new products, and showcase the most advanced battery technology.

Contact Energy Storage Association Tel: +1 202 293-0537 www.esacon.energystorage-events.org

CMT’s E-mobility Conference Asia

Seligenstadt, Germany

3rd Medical Battery Conference May 4 – 5 Seligenstadt, Germany

As demand for electric vehicles are expected to increase in Singapore, the country’s electricity and gas company SP Group plans a network of 1,000 electric vehicle chargers in Singapore by 2020. The EV chargers are expected to be 250 high-powered direct currentzxn with a power ratings up to 350kW. The chargers will be able to support EV models with large battery capacity and longer driving range. This event is an excellent platform to promote your organization to influential players and investors in the industry.

The 3rd Conference for medical batteries will meet to discuss and provide a platform for technological innovations and business opportunities with the latest updates in Germany and abroad. The conference is held once a year and is the leading and only medical Battery dedicated conference, bringing together participants from leading private and public companies, start-ups, investors, academics and businesses that are interested in the medical battery field. Topics will cover implantable batteries, electronic medical pill batteries, external batteries carried on human body, batteries for medical devices, ambulances, hospital equipment, medical and shipping regulations and safety requirements.

Contact Centre for Management Technology — CMT. Tel: +65 6346 9138 www.cmtevents.com/aboutevent. aspx?ev=200412

Contact Shmuel De-Leon Energy Tel: +972 77501 0792 Email: shmuel@sdle.co.il www.medicalbatteryconference.com

April 23-24 Bangkok, Thailand

BCI Convention + Power Mart Expo April 26-28 • Las Vegas, Nevada. USA The most complete display of new technology, products and services awaits you in the Power Mart Expo! View product demonstrations, pose questions to exhibiting experts and learn about what is new in the lead battery industry.

Contact Battery Council International Tel: +1 312 245 1074 Email: info@batterycouncil.org www.batterycouncil.org/ page/2019PostEvent

Contact Cambridge Enertech Tel: +1 781 972 5400 www.internationalbatteryseminar.com

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22–25 September

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Get ready for the 17th European Lead Battery Conference • Early bird registration opens in February • Join the largest gathering of lead battery experts in 2020 • More than 1,000 participants expected from:

Battery manufacturers

End users

Suppliers

Researchers

MiCo Milano Convention Centre, Milan, Italy

17ELBC Exhibition

FORTHCOMING EVENTS LABAT - International Conference on Lead-Acid Batteries

Battcon May 5-8 • Hollywood, FL. USA

Battcon is an educational program where users, engineers and manufacturers stay up-to-date by learning of the latest industry trends and how to apply best practices to the manufacturing, safety, selection, installation, and use of stationary batteries. The core conference provides an intense learning experience unavailable from any other industry source. Presentations include cutting edge topics delivered by leading authorities. Open discussion panels and breakout workshops geared to the utility, datacentre

June 6 – 12 Bulgaria

and telecom segments are also included in the conference. Datacentre, telecom or utility industry professionals who are working in mission critical facilities or are involved in the development of stationary batteries and related equipment will find the Battcon experience is second to none. Contact Battcon Email: events@battcon.com www.battcon.com

China International Battery Fair — CIBF 2020 May 25-27 China

CTI Symposia USA May 11 – 14 Novi, MI. USA Every year, the international transmission and drive community meets up at the International CTI SYMPOSIA – automotive drivetrains, intelligent, electrified – in Germany, China and USA to discuss the best strategies and technologies for tomorrow’s car, busses and trucks. From efficiency, comfort or costs to electrification, energy storage and connectivity, these premier industry meetings cover all the key issues in depth. Join us at the CTI SYMPOSIUM USA. The place to get updated on latest technical developments and applications on automotive transmissions for conventional and alternative drives. Contact CTI – Car Training Institute Tel: +49 211 88743 3333 Email: info@car-training-institute.com www.car-training-institute.com

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China International Battery Fair (CIBF) is an international meeting and the biggest exhibition activity on battery industry, which is sponsored by China Industrial Association of Power Sources. It includes all kinds of activities, such as exhibition, technical seminar, information meeting, trade fair, etc. CIBF2020 provides an opportunity of information and product exchange for domestic and foreign battery enterprises, and makes a great contribution to promoting the integration and development of battery technology at home and abroad. The success of CIBF2020 brings the world’s advanced battery technology and products to China, provides a new research and development direction for Chinese battery industry,and let the world see the booming development of Chinese battery industry.

Since 1989, the Lead-Acid Batteries Department of Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences has been organizing a series of triennial conferences on lead-acid batteries, named LABAT. The LABAT Conference is a globally recognized scientific forum gathering leading battery experts, technologists and academic researchers from all over the world. The technical sessions will once again offer you an insight into the latest research achievements and development trends in the field of lead-acid battery manufacture, operation and recycling, as well as an in-depth discussion of the new challenges facing lead-acid batteries. While the exhibition fair will present a perfect opportunity to showcase your new products and services. Contact Mariana Gerganska Email: gerganska@labatscience.com www.labatscience.com/conference/index

49th Power Sources Conference June 15 – 18 Jacksonville, FL. USA The Power Sources Conference is the oldest continually held biennial conference devoted to research and development of power source, energy conversion, power distribution and management technologies for military use. The conference goal is to bring Government, industry and academic researchers and developers together to discuss advances in power and energy technologies to support the growing power demands of military platforms and electronic systems. Attendees are comprised of representatives from organizations within DoD and other Government Agencies who are responsible for the design, research, development, engineering and transition of power and energy components and systems, along with industry and academic partners supporting collaborative research and manufacturing of such products. Contact Samantha Tola Tel: +1 212 460 8090 ext. 203 stola@pcm411.com www.powersourcesconference.com

Contact CIAPS - China Industrial Association of Power Sources Liu Xiaoxia Tel: +86 2223 959 049 Email: liuxiaoxia@ciaps.org.cn

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The Leading Exhibition Series for Batteries and Energy Storage Systems

FEBRUARY 4–6, 2020, SAN DIEGO, USA NORTH AMERICA‘S ULTIMATE HOT SPOT FOR ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS www.ees-northamerica.com

MARCH 3–5, 2020, DUBAI, UAE EES@MIDDLE EAST ELECTRICITY: MENA‘S MOST COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY STORAGE EVENT www.ees-mena.com

JUNE 17–19, 2020, MUNICH, GERMANY EUROPE’S LARGEST EXHIBITION FOR BATTERIES AND ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS www.ees-europe.com

AUGUST 25–27, 2020, SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL SOUTH AMERICA’S HOT SPOT FOR BATTERIES AND ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS www.ees-southamerica.com

DECEMBER 15–17, 2020, MUMBAI, INDIA INDIA‘S LEADING ELECTRICAL ENERGY STORAGE EXHIBITION www.ees-india.in

FORTHCOMING EVENTS ees Europe June 17 – 19 • Munich, Germany Discover future-ready solutions for renewable energy storage and advanced battery technology at ees Europe! Europe’s largest, most international and most visited exhibition for batteries and energy storage systems is the industry hotspot for suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and users of stationary electrical energy storage solutions as well as battery systems. The exhibition will be accompanied by a two-day energy storage conference where leading experts delve into current questions of this industry.

Global Automotive Components And Suppliers Expo June 16 – 18 Stuttgart, Germany Tier 1, 2 and 3 automotive component manufacturers from around the world will be at the expo to display their very latest technologies and products. Plus numerous other exhibitors will be on hand to discuss how they can participate in cost reduction within supply chains, and how they can offer new, alternative, cost-effective manufacturing and supply solutions. Furthermore, international associations, pavilions and specialist components manufacturers will be participating from the Middle East, Asia, the Americas and Europe, so this is a truly global supplier-sourcing opportunity in one compact location.

International Flow Battery Forum Contact Solar Promotion www.ees-europe.com/en/home

E-Mobility & Circular Economy EMCE 2020 June 29 – July 1 Tokyo, Japan At EMCE 2020, the industry will present its latest services, technologies and future designs in the field of E-Mobility, Power Distribution and Energy Storage. Meet all the industry’s stakeholders in a spacious Exhibition parallel to the Conference and experience Demo Rides with participants and media on Tokyo’s roads. Display your products and services. Show the hottest innovations in E-Mobility: cars, trucks, bikes, drones, toys, planes, helicopters, power storage and distribution. If you seek for great opportunities to promote your products and services, the E-Mobility & Circular Economy is the ideal event for you!

Contact UKIP Media & Events Clinton Cushion Tel: +44 1306 743744 www.globalautomotivecomponentsandsuppliersexpo.com/en/

Contact ICM AG Susann Schmid Tel: +41 62 785 10 00 www.icm.ch/emce-2020

ITEC 2020

June 30 – July 3 Lucerne, Switzerland

June 24 – 26 Chicago, Illinois. USA ITEC is aimed at helping the industry in the transition from conventional vehicles to advanced electrified vehicles. The conference is focused on components, systems, standards, and grid interface technologies, related to efficient power conversion for all types of electrified transportation, including electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (EVs, HEVs, and PHEVs) as well as heavyduty, rail, and off-road vehicles and airplanes and ships. Contact Rebecca Krishnamurthy rebecca.k@rna-associates.com www.itec-conf.com

104 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

European Fuel Cell Forum

The EUROPEAN FUEL CELL FORUM was founded in 1994 for the promotion of the innovative technology using technical and scientific conferences, relevant literature, and unbiased information from the media. From early on many highly successful conferences have been organised. The forum continues to be one of the most prominent meeting platforms for the exchange of scientific and technical information, as well as for the networking towards future solutions. The organisation is located in Lucerne and can be contacted at the following address: Contact www.efcf.com

June 30 – July 2 Düsseldorf, Germany The meeting is aimed at all those interested in the deployment, commercialisation, demonstration, manufacturing, financing, component and material supply, and the sector of academic and industrial research of flow batteries. The IFBF has a unique combination of keynote addresses, oral and poster presentations, seminars, and panel discussions to inform and educate delegates of the benefits of flow battery systems and for all to learn and share in the development of this exciting technology. The programme will cover recent progress, scientific, engineering and manufacturing issues, study of financial, marketing and commercial issues and will be relevant to renewable generation developers, smart grid operators, and all companies and businesses active in electricity supply. . Contact Swanbarton Tel: +44 1666 840 948 Email: info@flowbateryforum.com www.flowbatteryforum.com

Battery Cells & Systems Expo and Conference July 8 – 9 Coventry, UK Battery Cells & Systems Expo will bring together automotive manufacturers, electric utilities, battery system integrators, cell manufacturers and the entire manufacturing supply chain. A truly unique showcase, companies from around the world will use the show to launch products and demonstrate their technology to an audience of over 4,000 professionals. Co-Located with Vehicle Electrification Expo and The Advanced Materials Show, this will be a highly concentrated two days of networking, lead generation and education featuring the leaders and innovators responsible for shaping the future of this industry. Contact Event Partners Tel: +44 1273 286 399 Email: alex.oliver@event-partners.org www.batterysystemsexpo.com

www.batteriesinternational.com

FORTHCOMING EVENTS PlugVolt’s July 2020 Battery Seminar

ees South America

July 21 – 23 Plymouth, MI. USA

August 25 – 27 • São Paulo, Brazil

PlugVolt will be hosting its next Battery Seminar in Plymouth, MI (USA) featuring an entire day of in-depth technical tutorials on fundamental materials’ challenges for electrochemical energy storage, opportunities and challenges with solid-state batteries, best design practices for cell engineering, battery modeling and health monitoring, second life design considerations for energy storage, etc. Next two days will include complementary industry updates provided by subject matter experts from Automotive and Grid Storage OEMs, major battery manufacturers and global Tier 1 system developers and suppliers. Attendees will also get an exclusive opportunity to tour A123 Systems’ new Novi, Michigan (USA) facility first-hand and ask questions to resident experts, and enjoy some light appetizers and beverages while networking with industry peers. Contact PlugVolt JC Soman Tel: +1 877 7584 8658 Email: juratesoman@plugvolt.com www.batteryseminars.com

The 5th Asia (Guangzhou) Battery Sourcing Fair 2020 — GBF

The special exhibition “ees South America” is the industry hotspot for suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and users of stationary and mobile electrical energy storage solutions. It will be hosted for the second time at Intersolar South America, taking place at the Expo Center Norte in São Paulo. Covering the entire value chain of innovative battery and energy storage technologies – from components and production to specific user application - it is the ideal platform for all stakeholders in the rapidly growing energy storage market.

12th Shanghai International Lithium Battery Industry Fair

August 16 – 18 Guangzhou, China

August 26 – 28 Shanghai, China

Asia GBF is one of the professional demonstration and trade platforms of battery & energy storage industry, in which hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of professional visitors will gather there.

12th Shanghai International Lithium Battery Industry Fair will be held on Shanghai New International Expo Centre, China. The exhibitions of new energy vehicles, super capacitors, charging equipment and energy storage will be held at the same time. The show area is expected to reach 30,000 square meters, while more than 600 exhibitors from the whole industry chain will show their latest products and technology at the scene. Furthermore, over 100 visitor groups and 35,000 people are going to visit the site with a purpose to purchase or communicate, making sense to promoting industrial innovation and development.

Contact Guangdong Grandeur International Exhibition Group Tel: +86 20289 67766 E-mail: grand@grahw.com www.battery-expo.com/index.php?lang=en

The focus at ees is on energy storage solutions suited to energy systems with increasing amounts of renewable energy sources attracting investors, utilities, installers, manufacturers and project developers from all over the world. Contact Solar Promotion International Tel: +49 7231 58598-0 Email: info@solarpromotion.com www.intersolar.net.br/en/home/for-visitors/ about-intersolar/focus-ees-south-america. html

Intersolar Mexico September 8 – 10 Mexico City, Mexico. USA Intersolar Mexico serves as the industry’s go-to source for invaluable technology trends and premier B2B contacts in the promising Mexican solar market. Intersolar Mexico sits at the crosssection of photovoltaics, solar heating & cooling technologies, and energy storage. The event will be the largest gathering of professionals in Mexico for international manufacturers and distributors looking to meet regional buyers in the fields of solar, renewable energy and cleantech. Contact Solar Promotion International www.intersolar.mx/en/home.html

Contact Guangzhou Zhenwei International Exhibition Tel: +86 208 395 3211 Email: cnibf@zhenweiexpo.com www.cnibf.net/en/

In August China hosts The 5th Asia Battery Sourcing Fair 2020 — GBF in Guangzhou …

www.batteriesinternational.com

… And the12th Shanghai International Lithium Battery Industry Fair In Shanghai

Mexico City hosts Intersolar Mexico in September

Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 105

FORTHCOMING EVENTS The Battery Show North America September 15 – 17 Novi, MI. USA The Battery Show connects you with more than 8,000 engineers and executives, and more than 600 leading suppliers, across the advanced battery supply chain. A powerful, end-to-end showcase, this leading global industry event covers today’s emerging advanced battery technology for the automotive, portable electronics, medical technology, military and telecommunications, and utility and renewable energy support sectors. Explore the full spectrum of cuttingedge solutions you need to make faster, smarter, and more cost-effective products at the most comprehensive industry event in North America.

17th European Lead Battery Conference and Exhibition (ELBC) September 22 – 25 • Milan, Italy

Contact Informa Markets/UBM Melissa Adams Tel: +1 310 883 8822 Email: Melissa.adams@ubm.com www.thebatteryshow.com

25th International Congress for Battery Recycling – ICBR 2019 September 16 – 18 Salzburg, Austria ICBR is the international platform for presenting the latest developments and discussing the challenges faced by the battery recycling industry. The 25th edition of ICBR will bring together many experts and decisionmakers of the battery recycling value chain such as battery manufacturers, battery recyclers, OEMs from the electronic and e-mobility industry, collection schemes operators, service and transport companies, policy-makers and many more. An exhibition area is integrated in the conference facilities where vendors can meet their clients. Cocktail receptions and a networking dinner create an excellent atmosphere to get in touch with business partners and colleagues. Contact ICM AG Susann Schmid Tel: +41 62 785 10 00 Email: info@icm.ch www.icm.ch

25th International Congress for Battery Recycling – ICBR 2019 wil be held in Salzberg, Austria

106 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

This is your chance to hear from and meet the technical champions and industry experts who are setting the pace for the next generation of lead batteries, at an event with the industry’s most comprehensive technical conference programme. The exhibition is designed for suppliers to the lead battery industry including materials, components, bat-

tery manufacturing equipment, testing equipment, environmental services and manufacturers of battery recycling equipment. Contact International Lead Association — ILA Maura McDermott Email: mcdermott@ila-lead.org www.17elbc.ila-lead.org

Battery Experts Forum

Battery Tech Expo Nordic

September 29 - October 1 Frankfurt, Germany

November 3 Gothenburg, Sweden

In order to meet the great demand, the Battery Experts Forum will be taking place in the financial metropolis of Frankfurt am Main. With even more exhibition space, additional capacity in the conference halls and a great backdrop, the Battery Experts Forum is growing in the premises of the Forum Messe Frankfurt. Be there when over 100 TOP experts in the battery industry report on the latest technology! • Discover the hottest trends in battery and charging technology live and up close. • Exchange with experts. • And bring your knowledge up to date - at our BATTERY EXPERTS FORUM. Expect high class speakers and top topics. This event is an absolute must for those involved in battery technologies.

The Battery industry is on the cusp of a power revolution with big technology companies investing heavily in the next generation of battery development and energy storage. The Battery Tech Expo Nordic runs 3rd November 2020 in Gothenburg — the hub of the high tech industrial sector and will bring together professionals from across the advanced battery technology industry. The event will provide a unique opportunity to showcase the latest products, technologies and services covering the Battery Management Systems, EV Battery, Battery Storage, Battery Development/ Discovery, Commercial and Mobile Power Device sectors.

Contact www.battery-experts-forum.com

Contact 10fourMedia David Reeks Tel: +44 1283 815719 Email: david.reeks@10fourmedia.co.uk www.batterytechexponordic.com

www.batteriesinternational.com

power mart expo SMART SMART ENERGY ENERGY STORAGE STORAGE

April 26-28, 2020 Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa + Henderson, NV

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Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 108

BATTERY HEROES: NICHOLAS CALLAN Nicholas Callan’s major claim to fame is as inventor of the induction coil. But he also stumbled across the principle of the self-excited dynamo and was awarded one of the first patents for galvanization. Kevin Desmond reports.

Callan’s Coil and the world’s largest battery From little acorns big trees grow. And one of the great unsung heroes of the battery world has to be Nicholas Callan who, born in 1799 to a family of farmers just south of what is now Northern Ireland, became one of the giants in the world of batteries in the 19th century. Moreover, unlike the scientific greats of his period, most of his life was spent buried in an ecclesiastical college at Maynooth near Dublin (and which accounts for his name disappearing from sight after his death). It was here at St Patrick’s at Maynooth — which he entered to train for the priesthood in 1816 — that he was introduced to the world of magnetism by Cornelius Denvir, then professor of natural and experimental history and Bishop of Down and Connor. But it was in 1824 when the now-Father Callan went to Rome to study divinity at the Sapienza University that he came across the ground-breaking work of Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta on electricity. On his return from Italy in 1826, and his appointment to the chair of natural

110 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

philosophy at Maynooth, he started experiments of his own. Helped by funding from family and friends, he began work on a device for producing high voltage currents. He built his first one in 1836. Taking a horseshoeshaped iron bar, he wound it with thin insulated wire and then wound thick insulated wire over the windings of the thinner wire.

First transformer

He discovered that when a current sent by battery through a “primary” coil was interrupted, a high voltage current was produced in an unconnected “secondary’ coil (a large number of turns of fine wire). Callan’s Coil also used an interrupter that consisted of a rocking wire that repeatedly dipped into a small cup of mercury. Because of the action of the interrupter, which could make and break the current going into the coil, Callan called his device the “repeater”. Actually it was the world’s first transformer. Callan had induced a high voltage in the second wire starting with a low

voltage in the adjacent first wire. The faster he interrupted the current, the bigger the spark. In 1837, he produced his giant induction machine: using the escapement mechanism from a grandfather clock as his repeater in the primary coil to interrupt the current 20 times a second, it generated 15-inch sparks, an estimated 600,000 volts and the largest artificial bolt up lightning then seen! The following year, he stumbled on the principle of the self-exciting dynamo (10 years after and in ignorance of another priest, Anyos Jedlik). Simply by moving his electromagnet in the earth’s magnetic field, Callan found he could produce electricity without a battery. He even managed to adapt a motor to drive a small trolley around his laboratory, which led him to propose that electromagnetic locomotives could be used on the new railways, instead of steam. In 1838, he designed an engine to propel a carriage and load at eight miles per hour and had hopes of using them to electrify the railway line from Dublin to Dun Laoghaire. Gradually he realised that magnetism was powerful only at short distances, and that large magnets interfere with each other. Batteries were harder to manage than a steam engine giving the same power. After trials on a large scale, Callan had to admit defeat. Callan next progressed to connecting ever larger numbers of batteries. One of them consisted of 280 cells, but the units were of the conventional type with standard four-inch zinc plates. In the presence of 300 students he carried out some striking experiments with this battery. To test the magnetic effect he had a tug-of-war between a team of students and one of his electromagnets. When the current was sent through the set of primary coils, the students failed to dislodge the keeper from the magnet. He cut the current and the students fell in a heap.

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BATTERY HEROES: NICHOLAS CALLAN He then progressed to connecting 577 cells with a combined area of zinc of some 9m2. It was at least twice as large as that constructed at the École Polytechnique on Napoleon’s orders, therefore “probably the world’s largest battery.” To charge it, he required 14 gallons of nitric acid and 16 gallons of sulphuric acid. In March 1848, before an awestruck audience he demonstrated the powers of his battery. A large turkey was instantly electrocuted when placed in the electric circuit. A five-inch arc of blinding light was obtained between copper and brass terminals. Carbon arcs burned away too rapidly for the length of arc to be determined. At this stage, several porous pots burst, and some copper leads fell off their zincs through combustion of the solder. Callan used his students as human electrometers in his experiments, asking them to take electric shocks from his coil and then measuring its voltage by their reactions. Fortunately there were no fatalities but he did manage to render one student — who later became Archbishop of Dublin — unconscious. After this mishap, he limited himself to electrocuting turkeys.

The “Maynooth battery”

With the need to produce reliable batteries for his researches in electromagnetism, Callan developed what came to be known as the “Maynooth Battery”, developing a single fluid cell the following year. Previous batteries had used expensive gold or platinum, or unsatisfactory carbon, for one of their plates and zinc for the other. Callan found he could use inexpensive cast-iron instead of platinum or carbon. In the Maynooth battery, the outer casing was of cast iron, treated with an anti-corrosive tin-lead mix, and the zinc plate was immersed in a porous pot. But he then found that he could make a simple and useful battery by dispensing with the porous pot and the two fluids, using a single solution. The Maynooth Battery The outer casing of battery was cast iron. In his damp basement laboratory the iron began to rust…to stop this Callan investigated a method of preventing this. It was for the principle of galvanisation that he was granted a patent in 1853 by Queen Victoria. The Maynooth Battery was put into commercial production by Edward Marmaduke Clarke at the Battersea Iron Works, and sold from his Adelaide Gallery of Practical Science, 428, The Strand, London.

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Father Nicholas Callan: one of the giants in the world of batteries of the 19th century

Callan also experimented with various forms of electric lighting, from arc lights to limelights. By electrolysing acidulated water he produced hydrogen and oxygen, which gave him an oxyhydrogen torch with which he heated up a block of lime, producing an intensely brilliant light. He hoped that this would serve for lighthouse beacons, but practical difficulties militated against its use — hydrogen and oxygen is a highly explosive mixture and on at least one occasion an explosion shattered the vessel in which the gases were contained.

Lifts two tons

Since there were no instruments yet to measure current or voltage, Callan assessed his batteries by the weight they could lift when connected to an electromagnet. His best effort lifted two tons. When Callan reported this in the Annals of Electricity, an incredulous London professor visited Maynooth to witness the spectacle for himself.

Batteries International • Winter 2019/20 • 111

BATTERY HEROES: NICHOLAS CALLAN For his researches, he purchased vast amounts of mercury, great sheets of copper and zinc, literally miles of copper and iron wire, porous pots and glass containers by the gross, platinum foil, brass and iron and coke in rod and sheet and plate, insulating materials in bulk. At times the science hall must have looked like a factory. He was generous to fellow scientists in various parts of the world — even as far away as India, sending them induction coils and electro motors which he had had constructed.

Holy priest

In a couple of letters in 1855, one of Callan’s students Lawrence Johnson described Callan at work. “We have a priest here from County Louth, Dr Callan, the Professor of Science, and many are afraid he will blow up the College. Yesterday in St. Joseph’s Grounds we heard an explosion that was like the end of the world. … Callan is still experimenting night and day with gases and metals. In the Physic [sic] Hall today before the whole class he had his Box hopping by itself all over the floor. But he is a very holy priest”. Certainly Callan fought a war between his scientific interests and his calling. He once confessed to using his finger-nail to trace diagrams of electro motors on the altar cloth and admitted his horror that scientific research had taken such a hold on his mind. Callan, pioneer scientist died from natural causes at Maynooth on January 10, 1864. Callan’s invention of the induction coil was for a long time attributed to a German instrument-maker called Heinrich Ruhmkorff. Callan was largely forgotten by the wider world of science mainly because Maynooth was a theological university.

Plans for the University of Maynooth in 1845

The patent for Callan’s galvanisation principle, granted by Queen Victoria in 1853

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The National Science Museum at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth holds a remarkable collection of old scientific instruments, including many items salvaged from Callan’s original laboratory. I am grateful to its curator, Dr Niall McKeith (also Radiological Protection Officer at Department of Experimental Physics, Maynooth) for his invaluable help in the preparation of this tribute. Kevin Desmond desmond.book@wanadoo.fr

112 • Batteries International • Winter 2019/20

Callan’s laboratory at the University of Maynooth

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