Energy Storage

Water-from-air technology company Aqua Aerem’s Desert Bloom green hydrogen project received Major Project Status from the Northern Territory government last year. It has now announced a partnership with Japanese energy giant Osaka Gas that not only brings the 10 GW project closer to reality, but has also seen the company boost its ambitions to 20 GW in light of “quickly developing demand.”

US researchers have proposed the use of hydraulically fractured oil and gas wells to store renewable energy via compressed natural gas, with the levelized cost of storage potentially coming in at $70/MWh and $270/MWh. They said wells could also be used to store other renewable gases such as carbon dioxide or hydrogen in the future.

A startup incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur has introduced ZincGel battery tech, which could offer significant savings for owners of two-wheel electric vehicles.

Bosch’s new solid oxide fuel cell prototype has an electrical efficiency of more than 60% and an overall efficiency above 85%. It also has a targeted power output of 10 kW and can produce up to 3 kW of thermal energy.

Scientists in Spain have developed a new heat pump that can produce 6.49 kWh of heat for each kilowatt-hour of power it consumes. The device could generate hot water at a temperature of up to 75 C.

Swiss Clean Battery is set to start commercial production of its pure solid state batteries in Switzerland. The batteries are based on a protected electrolyte made of a solid ion conductor, which helps to maintain internal resistance and capacity. The fixed ion conductor is formed in the battery cell itself, similar to a multi-component adhesive.

Australian deployment of battery storage remained steady in 2021, according to market research firm SunWiz, bringing cumulative installations to 1,089MWh.

India’s Gautam Solar says its gel batteries provide a safer, cost-effective, and long-lasting alternative for the energy storage space.

US scientists have developed a battery that can retain 92% of its initial capacity over periods of 12 weeks, with a theoretical energy density of 260 W/hour per kg. It was built with an aluminum anode and a nickel cathode, immersed in molten-salt electrolyte.

Photovoltaics can wipe out 4.25 billion tons of carbon emissions every year this decade, according to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Even so, the actions announced so far remain way short of what is needed, with capital flows to fossil fuels still greater than the cash directed toward combating climate change.