Developments in increased energy density lithium batteries and renewable energy storage

Abstract

There is an urge for rapid change in our energy system as several deadlines for agreements on climate change mitigation goals are near, with the final deadline being 2050 to achieve the formidable task of realization of a CO2 neutral society. There are viable solutions to redesign our energy system through renewables, but the cost of such a redesign will only be more steep if carried out short before the deadline. From 2025 every year 4% of our energy system needs to be replaced using a simple linear approach, a percentage that will grow if we postpone it.
This work gives a clear insight in our current energy consumption behavior and the scale of our energy need. It provides possible improvements for specifically lithium batteries with liquid/polymerized liquid electrolytes. Currently it appears sodium battery chemistry is promising to be integrated in a completely renewable energy system. Fortunately the ‘lessons learned’ in this work are usable for research in sodium type of chemistry, because the fundamental mechanisms of intercalation, conductivity and redox activity are similar.