While 2020 may have been and gone, the strange times we’re collectively experiencing certainly have not. Looking back at least gives us an opportunity to reflect on the lessons learned during the past year or so and Aaroh Kharaya, product manager at solar PV and battery storage quality assurance, supply chain management and engineering services firm takes us through his top takeaways from a time that we may otherwise seek to forget.

Equity investors have already committed more than US$300 million to lithium battery recycler Li-Cycle’s plan to go publicly-listed through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger.

South African vanadium producer Bushveld Minerals is investing US$7.5 million in vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) energy storage company Enerox, which is planning to scale up its manufacturing capabilities.

The first battery energy storage system deployed to help stabilise the electricity grid in Turkey could help show the country’s energy sector that more rapid uptake of renewable energy can be feasible and cost-effective.

While it is better known for putting lithium-ion batteries in phones, tablets and computers, consumer technology company Apple said it is building a 240MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at a solar PV plant in California.

At the Energy Storage Summit US, a panel of experts discussed the impact of the ITC on the uptake of co-located assets, but also the challenges of operating within its framework.

California’s goal of reaching 100% emissions-free retail electricity by 2045 is achievable, but will require huge deployments of long-duration energy storage, especially from 2030 onwards.

A plan proposed by US president Joe Biden to invest US$2 trillion in infrastructure has been praised for “prioritising energy storage and policies that support the industry’s growth”.

TWAICE, a software company headquartered in Munich, has launched a platform aimed at helping energy storage system operators manage the profitable use of their assets against the impact that has on the health of their batteries.

Funding secured from its main shareholder group will help vertically-integrated energy storage company Leclanché push forward activities in its stationary storage business, CEO Anil Srivastava has said.