Tuesday 12 December 2023 - Material Innovations in Electrolyzers for Green Hydrogen Production - Introduction to the hydrogen economy and water electrolyzer technologies; Overview of incumbent electrolyzer materials and components; Key innovations needed in electrolyzer materials and components; Electrolyzer component market outlook

On the 28th November 2023, a plane flew from London to New York. For the first time in history, this transatlantic flight was 100% powered by sustainable alternative fuels. This rounds off a promising year for sustainable fuels in aviation. Earlier in 2023, ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation was adopted by the European Union, mandating a 70% sustainable aviation fuel blending obligation by 2050.

The battery deservedly takes the major focus when it comes to technology development in EVs. But an EV's powertrain has to act holistically to operate with optimal performance and interact with the passenger cabin's conditioning system. This means that the thermal management of the motors, power electronics, and how this all interacts is just as important as the battery.

Historically, the aerogel market has experienced slow and steady growth. With the newly found demand for thermal insulation and fire protection in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, aerogel manufacturers are making big plans and investments in order to scale up in preparation to serve this new market.

In an era marked by a global shift towards sustainable energy solutions, the hydrogen industry is at the forefront of this transformative wave. Green hydrogen, produced through water electrolysis-powered renewable energy, stands out as a key solution for decarbonizing sectors where direct electrification remains a challenge.

2023 has proven another momentous year for the electric vehicle (EV) market. 2022 saw electric car sales rise by 62% compared with 2021, and IDTechEx estimates that 2023 will see global sales rise by another 16%. But what can we expect for the future of EVs? In this article, Dr James Edmondson and Shazan Siddiqi from IDTechEx discuss what can be learned about the future of electrification, not only for vehicles on land, but also for marine sectors and aerial vehicles.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are gaining significant traction as a conductive additive at the cathode of lithium-ion batteries (LiB), a market driven in turn by the electrification of vehicles. This success has seen an explosion in the global production capacity of CNTs, with players racing to establish themselves as a leading supplier to the energy sector. However, the potential application areas for CNTs extend far beyond batteries. In this article, IDTechEx assesses the effects of increasing capacity and how this surge in supply will open opportunities for CNTs beyond the LiB market.

The electrification of cars has undeniably been at the forefront of the transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) and the growth in demand for Li-ion batteries, but the electric revolution extends far beyond passenger cars. Huge opportunities exist in other transport applications, which play a vital role in ongoing decarbonization efforts.

Creating a circular economy is an essential sustainability target for governments, brands, materials suppliers, and the public. Key to pushing these sustainability efforts, which range from sustainability roadmaps developed by chemical and material companies to sustainable material usage targets adopted by brands, is the danger that growing global plastic consumption poses to the environment.

The announcement claimed by Toyota that it had a "technological breakthrough" to resolve durability issues and "a solution for materials" for a solid-state battery (SSB) powering EVs in July 2023 has triggered another wave of interest in SSBs, in addition to the continuous efforts from companies such as BMW, CATL, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, LG, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Panasonic, Samsung, Volkswagen, etc.

Redox flow battery (RFB) installations are expected to increase over the next decade as demand for stationary energy storage technologies is expected to increase. This is due to potential Li-ion material supply shortages coming toward the end of the decade and increasing variable renewable energy (VRE) sources penetrating electricity grids, creating greater variability and uncertainty in energy supply.

Wednesday 22 November 2023 - The current Li-ion battery landscape and recent developments in recycling and end-of-life management; Alternative battery technologies, such as solid-state (SSB), sodium-ion (Na-ion), and redox flow batteries (RFBs), amongst others; Hydrogen's evolving role as a feedstock, fuel and energy carrier and its latest technological and market developments

The automotive sector is rapidly electrifying, with electric car sales totaling over 5.8 million units in the first half of 2023 across China, Europe, and the US. While automotive electrification is at the forefront of the public eye, other vehicle sectors also present huge opportunities, with IDTechEx predicting the global market of electric vehicles for land, sea, and air to be worth over US$1 trillion in 2044 (excl. automotive).

Wednesday 15 November 2023 - Electric vehicles: Battery strategies; Battery thermal interface materials; Direct oil cooling electric motors; Power electronics and adoption of wide bandgap semiconductors; Fire protection materials. Data centers: Increasing design power; Liquid cooling thermal management strategies; Industrial collaborations and opportunities for players

In the ever-evolving energy storage landscape, the advent of solid-state batteries (SSBs) is leading to a new era of possibilities. As the demand for higher performance and safer energy storage solutions grows, SSBs have emerged as a frontrunner in the race for next-generation battery technology.

A new high-power charging solution is required to meet the market need of the truck and bus industry to charge electric heavy-duty vehicles in an acceptable amount of time. As a result, the Megawatt Charging System (MCS), a charging system for large battery electric vehicles, is now being developed.

Tuesday 7 November 2023 - Electrification in Cars and Beyond: What's Happened and What to Expect - The automotive market - key technology trends and technology companies becoming involved in electric cars; Electric and fuel cell trucks; Air taxis (eVTOL); An overview of electrification across vans, trucks, buses, 2-wheelers, 3-wheelers, microcars, construction vehicles, trains, boats, and ships

IDTechEx forecast the Li-ion battery market for electric vehicles to reach US$380 billion by 2034. With this huge increase in value, the safe and reliable operation of these (sometimes combustible) assets while maximizing the performance extracted from them becomes critical. The battery management system (BMS) plays a central role in the safe and reliable operation of Li-ion batteries but is somewhat overlooked with regard to its potential for also moving battery performance forward.

As the energy and industrial landscapes experience transformative shifts, the hydrogen economy stands at the threshold of sustainable growth. The envisioned hydrogen value chain will integrate production, storage, and distribution systems, supporting a wide array of applications that span industrial processes to various transportation sectors.

Thursday 19 October 2023 - Introduction to and working principles of redox flow batteries; Energy and power decoupling explained; Levelized cost of storage (LCOS) vs. Li-ion; Introduction to RFB chemistry benchmarking; Current and future market applications of RFBs; discussion on long duration energy storage; Membranes used in redox flow batteries and introduction to other components; Overview of market analysis and recent RFB installations made by key players; IDTechEx's outlook and conclusions