Energy Storage

While lithium ion battery prices are falling again, interest in sodium ion (Na-ion) energy storage has not waned. With a global ramp-up of cell manufacturing capacity under way, it remains unclear whether this promising technology can tip the scales on supply and demand. Marija Maisch reports.

German municipal utility Westfalen Weser is looking to develop a 120 MW/280 MWh battery storage facility at the site of a former nuclear power plant in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The German government has confirmed the suitability of Hyphen’s hydrogen project in Namibia for potential investment, while Topsoe has completed a 2,000-hour demonstration of 12 solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stacks.

UK-based Konexa has finalized a deal that will see Climate Fund Managers and Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund invest $18 million to establish Nigeria’s inaugural private renewable trading platform and provide renewable energy to Nigeria Breweries.

Researchers in Australia have compared the technical and financial performances of a hydrogen battery storage system and a lithium-ion battery when coupled with rooftop PV. They evaluated two commercially available systems – LAVO and Tesla Powerwall 2 – and found that the lithium-ion battery provides better financial profits, whereas the hydrogen battery offers more battery lifespan for long duration of energy storage.

The US-based manufacturer said its new heat pump system has 5-ton capacity and a coefficient of performance of up to 3.95. It uses difluoromethane (R32) as the refrigerant and relies on DC inverter enhanced vapor injection (EVI) technology.

Lower costs, better supply chains and steady demand are driving an energy storage boom in the United States, according to a new report from Wood Mackenzie.

The system uses difluoromethane (R32) as the refrigerant and has reportedly a seasonal coefficient of performance of up to 4.69.

Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Microgrid Solution can be paired with Mainspring Energy’s Linear Generator to produce and store carbon-free energy for continuous use.

In addition to the cost of electricity, the price of hydrogen depends largely on the up-front investment cost of the electrolyzer. The lower the full-load hours, the greater the impact. Analyst BloombergNEF (BNEF) sees a number of different possible pathways for the market to develop.