Simply by adding sugar, researchers from the Monash Energy Institute have created a longer-lasting, lighter, more sustainable rival to the lithium-ion batteries that are essential for aviation, electric vehicles and submarines.

Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis finds that the global Li-ion battery materials market is projected to reach $51.60 billion by 2027 from $18.75 billion in 2020 at a 15.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

According to a media report, the Korean battery manufacturer LG Energy Solutions is currently developing LFP pouch cells. Allegedly, a pilot line for the lithium iron phosphate cells is to be built as early as next year.

Johnson Matthey, a global leader in sustainable technologies, has entered into an agreement with OnTo Technology, a developer of advanced battery recycling solutions, to scale up OnTo’s patented process for the direct recycling of lithium-ion battery scrap.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (IWS) has developed a dry coating process that eliminates the need for toxic solvents in the production of battery electrodes. This should make the production process noticeably more environmentally friendly.

Scientists in the U.S. discovered a promising new battery chemistry based on chlorine and table salt. Batteries based on this chemistry can achieve at least six times the energy density of today’s lithium-ion batteries, according to the group that created it. The prototype battery could already be suitable for small devices such as hearing aids, and with further work could be scaled up to larger applications.

The US-based lithium-metal battery specialist Sion Power is introducing their ‘Licerion’ rechargeable battery for electric vehicles at the Battery Show North America in Novi, Michigan in September. The 17 Ah Licerion EVcell boasts over 400 Wh/kg and 810 Wh/L in a large-format pouch cell.

In the search for sustainable energy storage, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, present a new concept to fabricate high-performance electrode materials for sodium batteries. It is based on a novel type of graphene to store one of the world’s most common and cheap metal ions – sodium. The results show that the capacity can match today’s lithium-ion batteries.

Slovakia’s battery specialist InoBat announces cooperation with Group14 Technologies, a supplier of lithium-silicon battery materials based in the US. The partners say they will produce customisable, high-energy-density batteries for automotive applications using Group14’s patented anode.

Sakuu Corporation has started the construction of a pilot line for the production of solid-state batteries with an annual capacity of 2.5 MWh. In May, the company announced a 3D industrial printer to enable the rapid mass production of solid-state traction batteries.

Valmet Automotive and Fortum have agreed to cooperate on battery recycling. This will ensure safe and sustainable recycling of all non-compliant battery materials from the battery plants Valmet Automotive operates in Salo and Uusikaupunki, Finland.

Researchers at Monash University have published a new study in which high voltage lithium batteries, such as those used in electric vehicles and grid scale energy storage systems, are tested with a novel lithium salt shown to be far less hazardous than current conventional materials.

German scientists have applied a new combination of cathodes and electrolytes to improve the stability of lithium-metal batteries. They fabricated a device with an energy density of 560 watt-hours per kilogram and a Coulombic efficiency of 99.94%.

Japanese scientists have developed a new lithium-sulfur battery by using titanium oxide and titanium nitride to prevent the formation of polysulfides during the fabrication process. This allows the battery to retain 85% of its capacity after 500 cycles at 2 C.

The research project “SoLiS – Development of Lithium-Sulphur Solid State Batteries in Multilayer Pouch Cells”, which started in July 2021 and is funded by the German government with almost 1.8 million euros, aims to transfer a promising battery concept from basic research to industrial application.

AGL will partner with technology group Wärtsilä for the supply of a 250MW/250MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at Torrens Island in South Australia.

Blackstone Technology, the German subsidiary of Swiss-based Blackstone Resources, has unveiled a new lithium-ion battery cell based on LFP technology, manufactured using an in-house patented 3D printing technology, which is expected to enter volume production this summer.

Vulcan Energy announces another prominent customer for the supply of lithium extracted from thermal water in the Upper Rhine Graben. Renault is the second carmaker after the Stellantis Group banking on battery metal coming through the German-Australian company.

Mining group Rio Tinto has announced investments of US$2.4 billion in its planned Jadar project in Serbia to produce, among other things, up to 58,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate from 2026.

Juwi has signed an agreement with Transalta to design, supply, build and integrate a solar battery hybrid power plant for BHP’s Nickel West mine in Western Australia. The hybrid power plant is expected to be operational in November 2022, after which juwi will undertake the plant operation and maintenance.