Energy Storage

A complimentary collection of insights written by IDTechEx industry experts, covering key technology innovation trends shaping the next decade.

The growth of Li-ion batteries creates surging demand for lithium, but there is an increasing need for extraction methods that are efficient, sustainable, and versatile across different environments and regions. This article highlights how the emergence of direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies will allow producers to satisfy these needs while scaling up to meet global lithium demand in the coming decade.

Global battery energy storage system (BESS) deployments continue to be deployed at a rapid pace, with surging deployments seen especially in grid-scale markets. Giant Li-ion BESS players dominate this market leaving untapped opportunities for smaller players to exploit in commercial and industrial (C&I) sectors, behind-the-meter (BTM). However, operating in this underappreciated market can be complex, given the vast end-use applications and changing regional drivers. This article highlights the emerging demand for C&I BESS technologies.

BESS developers are adopting various passive and active thermal management materials and technologies to improve the safety of their Li-ion BESS technologies. By understanding the root causes and impacts of BESS failure, battery storage players and regulators can target Li-ion BESS technology development with a greater targeted purpose, putting an emphasis on safety to reduce fire and explosion risk. A key pathway to address Li-ion BESS failures could also be with large-scale fire testing (LSFT).

IDTechEx forecasts that the critical material recovery market value will exceed US$66 billion per year by 2046, as demand, waste volume, and regulatory pressures all grow. Lithium-ion batteries and rare earth magnets are set to become key secondary sources of critical materials, as commercially mature recycling technology capacity scales in anticipation of growing waste volume becoming available in the 2030's.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are maturing into early deployment, and with that maturity comes a practical question: what happens at end of life? Recycling is an important starting point for thinking about sustainability and materials security in SSBs, but it is only a small piece of a much larger transition. This article outlines why recycling matters, where it sits in the bigger picture, and how the IDTechEx report "Solid State Batteries 2026-2036: Technology, Forecasts, Players" can guide decisions beyond circularity alone.

IDTechEx analyst Conrad Nichols summarises the latest progress of Redox Flow batteries.

The article explains some of the benefits that adoption of new advanced coating technologies can bring. This can come both in terms of higher performance, as well as supporting both direct and indirect regulatory compliance. These benefits can be brought to several industries, such as automotive, oil & gas, aerospace, construction and wind energy.

Supercapacitors are energy storage devices that offer distinct properties when compared to batteries. Supercapacitors have higher power density and lower energy density than batteries. They also have a significantly larger cycle lifetime, in the tens of thousands, which enables them to undergo frequent charge-discharge cycles without degradation. This allows them to perform in applications where batteries are not appropriate. IDTechEx covers supercapacitors in detail in its recent report: "Supercapacitors 2026-2036: Technologies, Applications and Forecasts".