Cost and availability of raw materials is the biggest among a number of challenges that must be addressed if US-made products will be able to meet demand for battery storage in the country.

The US Department of Energy Loan Programs Office has committed US$504 million to a 300GWh hydrogen storage project in Utah and another US$107 million to a graphite facility in Louisiana.

Renewable energy developer ZEN Energy has taken on responsibility for a 600-800MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Western Australia while the regional government is funding a downstream graphite facility project for battery applications at the same location.

The Biden administration plans to use the Cold War-era Defense Production Act to ramp up mining and processing for materials integral to batteries and renewable energy, like lithium, graphite, nickel, manganese and cobalt.

Companies in the battery storage industry raised US$9.6 billion in corporate funding during H1 2021, with European manufacturing startup Northvolt once again the biggest single recipient of venture capital (VC) investment.

A subsidiary of Russian state-owned nuclear technology and electric utility company Rosatom, will establish domestic lithium-ion battery cell and manufacturing facilities, following a deal to acquire 49% of South Korean company Enertech International.

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.

TerraE Holding, a collaborative initiative to establish large-scale production line manufacturing of lithium-ion cells at a European ‘Gigafactory’, has signed a raw materials deal for anode materials with Australia’s Magnis Resources.