Energy Storage

IDTechEx analyst Conrad Nichols discusses the role of batteries in data centers.

In this brief video Senior Technology Analyst Pranav Jaswani covers the advancement of direct lithium extraction processes.

Join IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst Pranav Jaswani on Thursday 29th January for this expert webinar "Direct Lithium Extraction: Reshaping Global Lithium Supply Through Efficiency & Sustainability". Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times during the day.

The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) technology is the most commercially deployed flow battery chemistry. However, high electrolyte costs have inhibited the wider market penetration of the technology, especially since Li-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) costs continue to fall. Vanadium electrolyte leasing models may help to reduce upfront cost to some degree, though the commercialization of cheaper, alternative flow battery chemistries will also drive global flow battery market growth. This article examines the current state of VRFBs and the evolving commercialization of alternative redox flow battery (RFB) technologies.

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.