Learn more about the latest in new battery technology and discover the next generation in battery and energy storage with expert analysis by Power Systems Research analysts.
2024-09-18
Read about Greely adding fast-charging batteries to its EV autos; Volvo backtracking on its EV pledge; Volkswagen considering factory shutdowns in Germany, and a new battery made from stone, all this and more in the September 2024 issue of the Alternative Power Report published by Power Systems Research. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast and Technology Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
2024-08-27
A research team at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has developed a new generation of lithium metal batteries, with the innovation centering on microcrack-free polymer electrolytes, which promise extended lifespan and enhanced safety at temperatures as high as 100 degrees Celsius
The microcrack-free polymer electrolytes are synthesized via a straightforward one-step click reaction, exhibiting notable attributes including “a remarkable resistance to dendrite growth and outstanding non-flammability,” the researchers reported
Source: PV Magazine: Read The Article
Dendrite growth is a tree-like structure of crystals that grows on metal cathode and has large consequences regarding material properties as it causes the loss of active lithium inside batteries, which leads to capacity loss.
PSR Analysis: Dendrite growth has been a key component of the duration of battery life (in terms of the number of cycles and battery degradation), so any move in this area holds great promise. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead for Power Systems Research
Many people are talking about lithium iron phosphate batteries, especially auto industry stakeholders who are eager to get their hands on a higher-performing, lower-costing and safer battery. If the supply chain doesn’t get its act together soon, this may be problematic.
81% of the global supply of phosphate rock is produced by just six countries, with China and Morocco in the lead, but the real problem is further up the supply chain. Regardless of the source, an LFP battery can’t use phosphate rock straight from the mine. It has to be purified with only 3% of total phosphate production currently suitable for lithium ion battery applications, given its refinement needs.
Source: CleanTechnica: Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Gathering phosphates from wastewater sludge could be a solution, but as with most new tech, investment is needed. A side effect of this could be improved water quality. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead for Power Systems Research
Indonesia is trying to reduce Chinese investment in new nickel mining and smelting operations in order to qualify for U.S. tax incentives. Under the Biden administration’s Inflation-Reduction Act (IRA), large tax incentives will apply after 2025. However, it does not apply to batteries sourced from “foreign entities of concern,” such as companies in which Chinese capital holds more than 25% of the shares, or to EVs that use nickel or other key minerals. Indonesia’s nickel industry will be hit hard by these conditions. This is because the country has been the world’s largest producer of nickel for the past four years, thanks to a large influx of Chinese capital into its mining and smelting operations.
According to three people familiar with the matter, the Indonesian government and the nickel industry are working on new investment projects in which Chinese companies will have a smaller stake. It is possible that the nickel supplied through these deals will be eligible for tax benefits under the IRA. However, in order for the Indonesian nickel industry to receive tax benefits, it will also need to negotiate a trade agreement with the United States. The Indonesian side is proposing an agreement limited to critical minerals.
2024-08-24
The August issue of PSR’s Alternative Power Report includes several articles on battery development, including ones describing news at Tesla. This month’s report also includes news on hydrogen power and the decline in diesel sales. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast and Technology Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
2024-07-15
As the electric vehicle market booms, the demand for lithium has also soared, with global lithium production more than tripling in the last decade. Current methods of extracting lithium from rock ores or brines are slow and come with high energy demands and environmental costs. They also require sources of lithium which are incredibly concentrated to begin with and are only found in a few countries.
Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) have optimized a new method for extracting lithium from more dilute (and widespread) sources of lithium, including seawater, groundwater, and “flowback water” left behind from fracking and offshore oil drilling.
South Korean battery giants LG Energy Solutions and Hyundai Motor have opened their first battery plant in Indonesia. The plant will produce batteries for electric vehicles to be sold locally and in neighboring countries. Indonesian President Joko made the announcement at a ceremony held July 3 in the Karawang region near the capital, Jakarta, to mark the opening of the new plant.
The investment is $1.2 billion, split 50-50 between LG Energy and Hyundai Motor. The annual battery production capacity is 10 GWh, which is equivalent to 150,000 electric vehicles. The plan is to invest an additional $2 billion in the second phase to increase the capacity to 20 GWh.
The company will produce lithium-ion batteries using a cathode material called NCMA. The high nickel content increases battery performance and range. The new plant will be LG Energy’s fifth production site in Southeast Asia, following those in South Korea, Poland, China and the U.S.
LG Energy has already supplied NCMA to Tesla, among others. In addition to Indonesia, the new plant will also serve as an export base for batteries used in electric vehicles sold by Hyundai Motor in neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, India, South Korea and elsewhere.
Source: The Nikkei
PSR Analysis: South Korea, which is positioning its battery industry as a key national industry, is moving very fast. The fact that it was able to get its battery plant up and running before its competitors may give it an advantage in its future business development in the region. But China’s CATL, the world’s largest EV battery manufacturer, plans to build new factories for batteries, battery materials and battery recycling in Indonesia in cooperation with local companies. The investment is about $6 billion. The news of the new plant in Indonesia is good news for South Korea’s automotive industry, but whether South Korea will be able to maintain a stable supply of EV battery materials in the future remains to be seen yet. PSR
Akihiro Komuro is Research Analyst, Far East and Southeast Asia, for Power Systems Research
ACT Company (AMPLIFY CELL TECHNOLOGIES LLC ), a Chinese a joint venture company, has broken ground for a battery production plant in Mississippi.
ACT Company was established by EVE Energy’s wholly owned subsidiary EVE Energy US, Cummins, Daimler Trucks, and Paccar. The joint venture will produce prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries, mainly for designated North American commercial vehicle applications. It will have an annual production capacity of about 21GWh and will provide more than 2,000 local jobs.
The project is expected to start shipping in 2026, and the three foreign enterprises and their affiliates will become the main customers, purchasing most of the products from the factory.
ACT Company is the first project of EVE Energy’s CLS model, aiming to enhance the flexibility and competitiveness in the global cooperation process, and to work with more partners to jointly promote sustainable development. The successful beginning of this project marks the entry of EVE Energy into a new stage of global development.
2024-07-14
Canada is preparing to join the tariff war against Chinese EVs, according to a report in the July 2024 issue of the Alternative Power Report prepared by Power Systems Research. Another article in the report notes that even thought EV sales are lagging, they’re positioned for long-term growth. And there’s plenty of battery news in this report prepared by PSR analyst Guy Youngs. PSR
2024-06-18
Moving the EV supply chain to Europe would cut the emissions of producing a battery by 37% compared to a China-controlled supply chain, according to new analysis by lobbying group Transport & Environment (T&E). This carbon saving rises to over 60% when renewable electricity is used.
Securing other parts of the battery value chain will be even more challenging given China’s dominance and the EU’s limited expertise. The report finds Europe has the potential to manufacture 56% of its demand for cathodes – the battery’s most valuable components – by 2030, but only two plants have started commercial operations so far.
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