lithium-ion

Swedish battery supplier Northvolt has announced plans for a manufacturing plant in Gdansk, Poland. The company says that the plant will have an initial capacity of 10,000 battery modules per year and will begin production in 2019.

Toshiba Corporation has announced it will invest JPY 16.2 billion (around US$144 million) in a second Japanese manufacturing facility for its SCiB rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

Lead, sulphuric-acid, nickel, cobalt and rare earth metals are highly toxic and have adverse impacts on the environment and the societies in which they are mined. As the EU is looking to become a world leader in battery production, a report considers new battery technologies – such as sodium-ion – which would have less negative impacts.

The inverter maker will buy 75% of Kokam’s shares for $88 million, with an intent to acquire the remainder shortly after, on the open market. Strategic company acquisitions and close partnerships are characterizing this year’s inverter market, as companies seek to diversify and integrate storage systems and other technologies.

Inorganic electrolytes will do the trick the company says. For multi-MW grid-scale applications the company says its technology can boost battery life to 50,000 cycles and is non-flammable. It adds that the costs of the product are competitive with conventional battery systems. Innolith is taking over the baton from Alevo, including chief executive and engineers. Alevo, however, went bankrupt last year, making the same promises.

Following hot on the heels of Exide Industries, traditional battery maker, Indian-based Amara Raja Batteries Limited has said it will set up a 100 MWh lithium ion assembly plant in Andhra Pradesh. The company aims to establish a foothold in the energy storage market for electric vehicles.

Following the signing of an assistance agreement between the Queensland Government and international consortium Imperium 3, an AU$2 billion lithium-ion battery factory is one step closer to reality.

Primearth EV Energy (PEVE) announces large-scale lithium-ion battery plans, Germany’s saferay receives financing for a 50 MW PV project, and RTS Corporation provides an update on Japan’s solar auctions.

Underlining India’s commitment to becoming the global renewable energy leader, Shri Anand Kumar, Secretary of India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, said the country plans 500 GW of capacity by 2030. He also underlined India’s plans for becoming a solar and storage manufacturing hub; and said the International Solar Alliance needs to widen its membership.

Indonesia has reached a milestone, having inaugurated its first three solar+storage mini-grids, thus enabling three remote villages to enjoy uninterrupted, off-grid access to electricity for the entire day.