Alternative to Lithium-ions, Way Forward to Cleaner Sources

Abhrasnata Das

In today's grid operations, lithium-ion batteries are the most popular battery storage option, providing more than 90% of global grid markets. This is due to the fact that they have effective energy storage and don't lose it for very long.

There is no question that in the last few decades, the world has made the shift to utilizing cleaner energy thanks to the invention of lithium-ion batteries and other advancements in battery technology.

However, the environmental difficulties associated with lithium mining for lithium-ion batteries are substantial. Each tonne of lithium produced in South America requires over 2.2 million gallons of freshwater for mining.

Both the poisonous material's extraction and mining activities' fugitive particle emissions harm the atmosphere. Batteries made of lithium might be hazardous when thrown away. Although they may be recycled and the lithium recovered for use in new batteries, lithium recycling is not well established, and development in this field appears to be at a standstill.

Many technologies, including sodium-ion, solid-state, and flow batteries, have previously been deployed and are in various phases of development. Below is a discussion of the main lithium-ion battery substitutes that might be used as

Solid-state batteries: An Alternative EV Batteries

Solid-state batteries are new advanced battery blocks that have much interest across spaces. Today, all solid-state batteries promise greater energy storage density, increased reliability and wear resistance, fast charging, and also operational safety.

Solid-state batteries also have a higher energy density per unit area due to their compact size. The energy density of a solid-state battery can be up to ten times greater than that of a lithium-ion battery of the same size.

Big corporates like Samsung, Toyota Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi are exploring the potential of Solid-state batteries in EVs. For example, the Japanese manufacturer Toyota has been monitoring the solid-state battery industry for years ad even holds the most patents for solid-state batteries. However, the largest automaker in the world upped the ante by declaring its commitment to invest more than USD 13.5 billion by 2030 in developing next-generation solid-state batteries.

Top universities of the world, such as MIT, the University of California San Diego, are also actively studying solid-state batteries and innovating new technologies that are expected to bring about positive outcomes in the future.

Flow Batteries: The New Option

The world has started looking for lithium-ion battery replacements after considering all the potential drawbacks. One of the outcomes is a flow battery, commonly known as a redox vanadium flow battery today because it is now the most often utilized chemical component in this technology.

The adaptability of flow batteries is one of their main benefits. By mixing different electrolyte tanks or by adding larger tanks to the storage system for added capacity, they may be readily customized to the necessary energy capacity. That indicates that, in contrast to lithium-ion batteries, they are a suitable option for big energy storage systems due to their scalability.

For extended periods of time, flow batteries can totally drain the system without suffering any detrimental effects on their capacity. The battery sustains no lasting harm even if the electrolytes mix unintentionally.

V-flows have between 15,000 and 20,000 charge/discharge cycles, but the life cycle of a solid-state battery has a considerably lower range, between 4,000 and 5,000 charge/discharge cycles. This implies that there is practically no time degradation and almost infinite longevity. The flow battery can manage the storage system for a lot longer than the li-ion one, extending the time between battery replacements.

Sodium Ions: Potential for Energy Storage

Due to technical developments, sodium-ion batteries are gaining popularity since they might, in comparison to lithium-ion batteries, deliver comparable performance in a wider variety of applications without experiencing supply chain issues.

Furthermore, sodium is more costly and more ecologically friendly than lithium due to the availability of sodium in nature. According to sources, sodium can be harvested from seawater and its concentration in the crust of the Earth is more than 500 times more than that of lithium.

Various groups are now investigating the potential applications for sodium-ion batteries. For instance, the Chinese battery juggernaut CATL may start producing sodium-ion batteries as early as next year, and a number of startups are also focusing on boosting sodium-ion production capacity.

Since 2011, the UK-based Faradion has concentrated on sodium batteries. Sodium-ion technology is also being commercialised by HiNa Battery Technology in China, Tiamat in France, Altris AB in Sweden, and Natron Energy

In the near future, sodium-ion batteries could be used for applications that call for lower energy density, longer-lasting batteries, like stationary storage, potentially alleviating some of the supply constraints on raw materials for the lithium-ion batteries required for EVs.

Looking forward

Internationally, a number of cutting-edge lithium-ion substitutes are at various deployment phases. Many projects in India are still in the proof-of-concept phase. It is essential to quicken the pace of domestic deployment because we have already seen these technologies' potential in India.