More news in brief from around the world in energy storage.

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 has been added to a list of raw materials deemed essential to secure supply in Europe, for the first time ever, by the European Commission.

Standards, guidance and best practice relating to the installation and deployment of battery storage are often talked about in the industry, and rightly so. What is perhaps less often focused upon, is evaluation of the battery equipment itself before it even leaves the factory. PI Berlin’s Benjamin Sternkopf and Ian Gregory speak about their new lithium cell assessment service.

Stationary energy storage in support of electric vehicles (EVs) charging could reach a global installed capacity of 1,900MW by the end of 2029 according to a new Guidehouse Insights report.

The reuse of electric vehicle (EV) batteries in stationary storage systems offers great possibilities, but investors still need to gain confidence in the ‘second life’ battery concept, the CEO of a company behind a new project in England has said.

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.

Mitsubishi Corporation said today that it is partnering with major Japanese telecoms provider NTT to “study cooperation” in renewables, energy management using electric vehicles and battery energy storage, while according to reports, NTT is investing around US$1 billion a year in renewable energy up to 2030.

V2G can significantly reduce energy system greenhouse gas emissions, as well as ensure resilience in the event of power outages and prolong the battery life of an EV, according to a review of nine projects across Europe.

South Wales is likely to be the location for the UK’s first lithium-ion ‘gigaplant’, as Britishvolt announces plans to combine the site with solar.