Featured in Down to the wires 06-2024

Versatile lithium-ion can unpick gridlock

The Swiss Army knife qualities of lithium-ion batteries have helped scale the technology. Now their ubiquitous nature means they are ideally placed to help electricity system operators balance the grid, argues Gerard Reid, co-founder and partner of Alexa Capital.
The increasing deployment of lithium-ion batteries has changed the storage landscape as their capacity to store and discharge makes them a versatile tool for transportation and energy generation. | Photo: Fluence

 Using a battery to power a mobile phone – or watch, or laptop – is obviously no big deal. On April 16, 2024, however, the kinds of batteries that power cellphones and watches went quite a lot further, becoming the largest source of power for one of the world’s biggest electric grids.The grid in question …

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