Key Challenges for Grid‐Scale Lithium‐Ion Battery Energy Storage

Abstract

A rapid transition in the energy infrastructure is crucial when irreversible damages are happening quickly in the next decade due to global climate change. It is believed that a practical strategy for decarbonization would be 8 h of lithium‐ion battery (LIB) electrical energy storage paired with wind/solar energy generation, and using existing fossil fuels facilities as backup. To reach the hundred terawatt‐hour scale LIB storage, it is argued that the key challenges are fire safety and recycling, instead of capital cost, battery cycle life, or mining/manufacturing challenges. A short overview of the ongoing innovations in these two directions is provided.

Cathode regeneration and upcycling of spent LIBs: toward sustainability

“…Though, it still can be concluded from Fig. 4(B-E) that direct regeneration is a more environmentally and economically viable route than indirect recycling, 1 as although the indirect recycling method has advantages in terms of fewer pretreatment requirements and better potential for scalability, the direct regeneration route is still more likely to be the optimal method for EOL LIB recycling given its environmental and financial sustainability.…”

“…The global energy infrastructure is transforming toward being green or sustainable, shifting from traditional fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. LIBs play an essential role in this green revolution in two ways: (1) as energy storage systems (EESs) to aid the grid-level practical operations of solar, wind, and hydroelectric power stations, which have issues associated with intermittent power supply; 1 (2) as energy sources for electrical vehicles (EVs) freeing us from the dependence on fossil fuels. 2 Driven by ever-increasing energy demands and the optimistic anticipation of the universal uptake of EVs and renewable energy sources, there has been tremendous growth in LIB production over the last decade (Fig.…”

Challenges and Opportunities to Mitigate the Catastrophic Thermal Runaway of High‐Energy Batteries

“…[1][2][3][4] The commercial Li-ion batteries (LIBs), delivering outstanding performance in terms of energy density, rate capability, cycle life, and cost, have participated in this renewable evolution and powered our daily life from portable devices to electric vehicles and power stations. [5][6][7][8] The current LIB chemistry, which mainly composed of Li-intercalation electrodes and carbonate-based electrolytes, was first commercialized in the HE electrode materials, the TR behaviors of the HE-LIBs, as well as the most advanced TR mitigation technologies. The HE-LIB chemistries reviewed are composing with Li-rich or Nirich cathodes, liquid or solid-state electrolytes, and graphite, silicon, or lithium metal anodes.…”

Solvent Induced Activation Reaction of MoS2 Nanosheets within Nitrogen/Sulfur‐Codoped Carbon Network Boosting Sodium Ion Storage

“…Renewable energy technology can effectively reduce carbon emissions and assistance achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible and battery energy storage technology is the key to make up for the intermittent shortcomings of renewable energy. [1][2][3][4] Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) become one of the extremely hopeful alternative chemical power sources for large more sodium and improve the pseudocapacitance behavior. For instance, Kang et al [20] uses the most familiar natural graphite as the anode material of SIB matched with ether-based electrolyte obtained a splendid sodium storage capability (150 mAh g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 after 2500 cycles), which precedes the capability in the traditional ester electrolyte.…”