Feature
Editor's blog
Energy-Storage.news’ most-read blogs of the year 2020
Here’s the top-ranking blogs from 2020 on the website, based on page views.
Articles tagged with: Supply Chain
EU’s proposed rules on battery sustainability ‘welcome but risk over-regulating industry’
Proposed updates to EU legislation on batteries that aim to address some of the issues associated with Europe’s supply chain have been welcomed by trade industry association RECHARGE, albeit with the suggestion that they may be too complex in their current form.
Commercial lithium-ion battery recycling plant opens up in Rochester, New York
Lithium battery recycling company Li-Cycle now has capacity to recycle 10,000 tonnes a year of spent lithium-ion batteries, having just opened its Rochester, New York facility for commercial operations.
Powin ramps up Taiwan manufacturing as counterpoint to ‘uncertainties’ in US-China relations
Large-scale energy storage solutions provider Powin Energy has begun manufacturing of its products at two additional sites in Taiwan.
Flow battery to be paired with solar at South African vanadium mine’s microgrid system
A solar-plus-storage microgrid being deployed at an alloys mine in South Africa will feature a vanadium flow battery energy storage system, using locally sourced vanadium electrolyte.
Feature
Analysis
VIDEO: What does it take to finance a gigafactory?
What does it take to successfully create a multi-gigawatt battery storage factory? Energy-Storage.news' editor Andy Colthorpe moderates a discussion with some key players in Europe's race to create a home-grown value chain.
US utility-scale energy storage developer GlidePath signs up for battery recycling partnership
US developer GlidePath Power Solutions has signed up to use a full life-cycle management platform for the batteries it uses, including recycling and repurposing as it seeks to “resolve the recycling and re-use case upfront, not down the track”.
Feature
Analysis
Experts react to Tesla Battery Day: Highlights, hype and honking horns
An examination, analysis and perspectives on the takeaways and highlights beyond the hype of Tesla’s latest and most ambitious plans yet, from market analysts, technologists and more.
‘Every step’ of lithium battery value chain will have an interest in recycling
It will be in the interests of more or less everybody involved in the “broader lithium-ion battery supply chain” to establish effective recycling ecosystems, according to an analyst with IHS Markit.
Elon Musk’s ‘important note’ ahead of Tesla Battery Day
Whatever technology or strategy announcements come from Tesla’s Battery Day, speculation that the company will reduce purchases of battery cells from partners as a consequence is incorrect, CEO Elon Musk has said.
BNEF: Lithium battery supply chain is unsurprisingly led by China
BloombergNEF (BNEF) has ranked China #1 among the countries of the world most involved in the lithium-ion battery supply chain in 2020, with Japan and South Korea in second and third place respectively.
Lithium battery recycling facility welcomed by New York Governor Cuomo
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that a new recycling facility for lithium-ion batteries helps create quality jobs and support clean energy as the state “builds back stronger” from the COVID-19 crisis.
US government agencies join ‘world-wide race to capture the advanced battery market’
With the recognition that “battery technology holds the key” to a future of cleaner transport and flexible, resilient electricity grids, four key US government departments have jointly established a Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries (FCAB).
‘Energy storage should be a key topic’ of EU energy policy, MEPs say
Batteries, hydrogen and other energy storage should be a “key topic of energy policy,” in the EU, Members of European Parliament (MEP) that worked together on formulating a report into the role of storage in a decarbonised, fair and secure energy system have said.
Recycling, end-of-life and safe transport of batteries under spotlight in US, EU initiatives
Guidelines for lithium-ion battery storage system decommissioning and recycling have been launched in the US by the national Energy Storage Association, while associations in European Union territories as well as the US have come together to launch an online information portal on the safe transportation.
Eguana reports 154% yearly jump in revenues amid deals with international players
Canadian energy storage technology manufacturer Eguana Technologies has reported greatly increased revenues in its latest quarterly financial results, with the company making recent deals in territories including Japan and Germany.
Tesla in Battery Day teaser as Musk offers snippets on cell supply constraints
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and fellow executives talked up the potential for Tesla Energy to reach “roughly the same size” as the company’s automotive business in an earnings call with analysts held yesterday.
Financing secured to ‘enable rapid development’ of Norway’s first lithium battery cell gigafactory
The company behind what looks set to be Norway’s first gigawatt-scale manufacturing facility for lithium-ion battery cells has secured pre-construction financing of NOK130 million (US$13.85 million) which it said will “enable rapid development” of the plant.
Feature
Analysis
Energy storage in a post-pandemic world: Taking stock and preparing for future success – Part One
What will the impact of COVID-19 be on the energy storage market? And how best to learn to adapt to whatever the 'next normal' will be? Florian Mayr at cleantech advisory and consultancy group Apricum examines the bigger picture of “energy storage vs the virus”.
European Parliament committee keen to boost role of energy storage in climate targets
A key committee of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) has voted overwhelmingly to thrust energy storage into the heart of the continent’s decarbonisation agenda, while trade group EASE has urged the EU to raise its targets on 2030 emissions reduction.
ROUNDUP: US$1.5m for geothermal lithium, Eos’ public listing, C&I thermal storage using aluminium
News in brief from around the world in energy storage.
Feature
Guest blog
Think zinc: Another metal that can transform the energy storage sector
When most people think of the metals that power today’s energy storage systems, vanadium and lithium are at front of mind. Ron MacDonald, president and CEO of Zinc8, argues the case for another metal playing an important role.
Feature
Editor's blog
Stackin’ the box: How Fluence’s new ESS range speaks to the next market phase
“This next phase we’ve entered is a large number of projects in a lot of places," Fluence VP for marketing and strategy, Brian Perusse, tells Energy-Storage.news.
Tesla: ‘Notion that a sustainable future is not economically feasible is no longer valid’
Tesla’s just-released sustainability report for 2019 asserts the belief that “the notion that a sustainable future is not economically feasible is no longer valid”.
Energy storage essential to fight climate crisis but supply chain ethics matter, World Bank says
Climate-smart principles must steer the global search for the minerals and metals required by the green energy boom to make sure the process remains sustainable, according to the World Bank.
Feature
Editor's blog
Grid-scale energy storage and COVID-19: Fluence’s John Zahurancik Q&A
After we reported earlier this month that despite the impact of COVID-19, progress continues to be made on nearly every one of more than 70 projects underway by energy storage technology provider Fluence, here’s the full interview with Fluence’s chief operating officer John Zahurancik that that news story came from.
Fluence able to advance utility-scale battery storage projects despite COVID-19 delays
Fluence has been able to keep working on “all but two or three” of 73 utility-scale battery projects, with battery energy storage increasingly considered an essential part of grid infrastructure in many parts of the world.
Invinity: ‘Flow batteries suitable for opportunities lithium cannot reach’
There exist opportunities for flow batteries to target areas of the market lithium-ion “can’t provide in an economically justifiable way,” the chief commercial officer of Invinity Energy Systems has said.
COVID-19: ‘Essential services’ decree in Italy allows factory reopening, says Manz
“We are happy about the Italian government's decision that allows us to fully resume business operations in Italy,” Manz AG CEO Martin Drasch has said, following a ruling that deems lithium-ion battery production to be of ‘strategic importance’ for the European country.
CATL batteries energise Powin’s new ‘long duration, long life’ Li-Ion systems
Powin Energy has launched a set of three battery storage system products using CATL’s large form factor lithium-ion cells, including a system solution capable of 4+ hour duration and backed by a 20-year warranty.