Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!
Battery storage is vital to the transition to clean energy. By now, most of us are aware that the sun goes down every night and the wind doesn’t always blow, which makes renewable energy a completely different kettle of fish compared to traditional thermal generation. The only problem with thermal sources is that they poison the atmosphere, but if you can put that aside, they are very reliable and have been for more than a century.
That reliability makes the electricity they generate “dispatchable,” a term of art in the power generation industry that loosely means when the demand for energy is there, thermal generation will supply it — every time. It’s like your kitchen faucet. When you turn the tap, water flows. With renewables, that is not always the case unless there is an intermediary mechanism somewhere in the system, something that can soak up extra electrons and supply them back to the system when needed. Battery storage is what makes renewable energy dispatchable, and that dispatchability is what makes it possible for renewables to displace thermal generation.
The first battery storage systems used pretty much the same battery cells used to power electric cars — nickel manganese cobalt or nickel cobalt aluminum — but those batteries were optimized for the quick bursts of energy needed to make electric cars accelerate. Energy storage batteries are more suited to providing a steady supply of electrons over a period of hours, something lithium ferrous phosphate batteries do very well.
LFP batteries have other advantages. Because they do not use expensive raw materials like nickel and cobalt, they cost less to manufacture. They also are less likely to experience thermal runaway events (a nice way to say “battery fires”) and have a longer lifespan than NMC or NCA batteries.
Microvast Prioritizes LFP Battery Storage
In a press release on August 8, 2024, Microvast announced it is making LFP batteries the cornerstone of its next generation battery storage systems. “Unlike our ultra-high-performance nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries which are produced to meet the demands of our commercial vehicle customers, our new 565Ah LFP batteries are specifically tailored to the unique demands of ESS customers, providing superior long term performance, cost efficiency, and reliability.”
Yang Wu, CEO of Microvast, said “Energy storage is essential for carbon reduction and accelerating the global transition to clean energy. Our ME6 energy storage solution can be used for any application where electric energy supply is needed. We are excited to introduce this efficient solution and look forward to advancing the industry together with partners in the US and worldwide.”
The company says its LFP-based ME6 energy storage solution offers a compelling combination of benefits that include extra long life in a compact container that incorporates advanced nitrogen protection to prevent fires and resist corrosion for reliable year-round outdoor operation. The batteries have a life expectancy of 10,000 cycles and benefit from an integrated cooling system that extends battery life and enhances round-trip efficiency. Of particular interest to energy storage customers is that the Microvast LFP battery cells are domestically produced, which means they qualify for the tax incentives provided by Section 45X of the Inflation Reduction Act.
“ME6, the latest generation of our energy storage solutions, is engineered for enhanced efficiency,” said Dr. Wenjuan Mattis, Chief Technology Officer of Microvast. “Utilizing our high-performance LFP cells, we have developed a ME6 container that boosts capacity and stability while providing an exceptional lifespan of up to 30 years and supporting more than 10,000 cycles. Our pioneering nitrogen protection technology helps prevent fires and combat corrosion, and when combined with our sturdy IP55 and C4 designs, can greatly improve both the reliability and longevity of our systems.
“Moreover, our integrated modular liquid cooling system helps ensure consistent battery temperatures, optimizing performance through active cell balancing and enhancing round-trip efficiency while reducing heat loss. These cutting-edge features will help Microvast deliver the reliability and performance required to meet the rigorous demands of today’s energy storage market.“ The company says it is consolidating all its manufacturing actives at its production hub in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Sineng Deploys Sodium-Ion Battery Storage Hub In China
LFP batteries are cheaper than NMC or NCA batteries, but sodium-ion batteries are even less expensive. Lithium prices have fallen rapidly over the past several months, but sodium is abundant and dirt cheap. Several companies — mostly in China — are now offering cars with sodium-ion batteries, not because of their blistering performance or outstanding range, but because they allow manufacturers to get some super cheap electric cars on the market.
Chinese battery manufacturer Sineng is taking the developing sodium battery technology and applying it to battery storage in a planned 100MW/200MWh project in Hubei Province, China. In a statement on August 6, 2024, the company said the first phase of that project, which has 50MW/100MWh of battery storage, has been successfully connected to the grid and commenced commercial operations.
In a bid to diversify from lithium, China has been exploring alternative energy storage technologies. Sodium-ion batteries have emerged as a promising option due to their abundant raw material, superior performance at low temperatures, better roundtrip efficiency, and excellent safety.
The installation consists of 42 BESS containers with 185 Ah sodium-ion batteries, 21 power conversion system units, and a 110 kV booster station. Sineng’s 2.5 MW-string turnkey solution is meticulously designed to align with the sodium-ion battery energy storage system’s wide DC voltage range, supporting rated output power from 700V to 1500V. Featuring cluster level energy management, Sineng’s solution amplifies the cluster level balancing capability of sodium-ion batteries. Additionally, the string PCS units are engineered to ensure durability in extreme temperatures and high humidity.
As the project comes online, it effectively mitigates peak demand, enhances grid resilience, and guarantees a reliable power supply. This project marks a significant milestone in China’s transition toward diversified energy storage solutions. Deploying sodium-ion battery technology on such a large scale demonstrates the feasibility and advantages of alternative energy storage systems, paving the way for their extensive adoption worldwide.
The Takeaway
Battery storage technology is evolving in line with developments in other battery applications. That’s good news for everyone who supports a transition to clean energy and clean transportation solutions. But there is a political component here that needs to be talked about. According to the New York Times, many more Chinese students major in science, math, and engineering than students in other big countries do. That share is rising further, even as overall higher education enrollment has increased more than tenfold since 2000.
Spending on research and development has surged, tripling in the past decade and moving China into second place after the United States. Researchers in China lead the world in publishing widely cited papers in 52 of 64 critical technologies, recent calculations by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute reveal. A majority of undergraduates in China major in math, science, engineering, or agriculture, according to the Education Ministry. And three-quarters of China’s doctoral students do so. By comparison, only a fifth of American undergraduates and half of doctoral students are in these categories.
China’s lead is particularly wide in batteries. According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 65.5% of widely cited technical papers on battery technology come from researchers in China, compared with 12% from the United States. Which means that all the economic incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act are being maximized because the human capital needed to do so is largely absent in the US. If America and the rest of the industrialized world are serious about meeting the challenge of Chinese dominance in critical supply chains, they will need to match China in educational initiatives — something the Harris-Walz administration may want to consider when it takes over next January.
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Latest CleanTechnica.TV Videos
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.
CleanTechnica’s Comment Policy
