US pledges US$37 million to improve energy storage tech in transport, grid and fuel cells

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The US Department of Energy has set aside US$37 million to improve energy storage and conversion technologies in transportation batteries, grid-level storage, and fuel cells.

The department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) will fund 16 new research projects into how new technology, specifically solid ion conductors, can overcome the limitations of current battery and fuel cell products.

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Current fuel cells convert chemical energy into electricity, and back again, and can therefore store electricity from intermittent resources like wind and solar power, and also generate it as required from stored energy, whether from carbon free sources or natural gas or hydrogen. At the same time, the inherent limitations of electrochemical batteries has “stifled further innovation,” reckons ARPA-E.

Instead, batteries using parts built with solid ion conductors – solids in which ions can be mobile and store energy – offer a high-performance alternative to traditional liquid electrolytes or expensive materials used in current fuel cell stacks.

The new research will focus on how to overcome associated drawbacks such as low ionic conductivity and expensive processing, and how to finally integrate these parts into energy storage devices. It will also explore how to increase battery energy capacity while preventing short circuits and degradation, and how expensive elements like platinum can be replaced with more common metals.

ARPA-E director Ellen Williams said: “While battery technologies have improved by leaps and bounds over the past few years, there remain some imposing physical and chemical barriers that have stifled further innovation. Solid ion conductors made of affordable, easily produced materials could replace today’s mostly liquid electrolytes and expensive fuel cell parts, helping create a next generation of batteries and fuel cells that are low-cost, durable, and more efficient.”

This week, the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC) set out a three-year research programme to improve the performance of lead batteries in energy storage and electric vehicles, and close the gap on lithium-ion in the energy storage and electric vehicle markets.

It warned at the same time the requirements of these sectors will develop at such a pace that lithium-ion technology could yet be adopted as the default standard, and the lead battery market could irreversibly contract.

23 September 2025
Warsaw, Poland
The Energy Storage Summit Central Eastern Europe is set to return in September 2025 for its third edition, focusing on regional markets and the unique opportunities they present. This event will bring together key stakeholders from across the region to explore the latest trends in energy storage, with a focus on the increasing integration of energy storage into regional grids, evolving government policies, and the growing need for energy security.
1 October 2025
Asia
By 2026, the Asia-Pacific region is forecast to contribute 68% of the projected $10.84 billion market. Over the past decade, Asia has fortified its grids with batteries that enable smart grids, renewable integration, responsive electricity markets, and ancillary services. In this rapidly evolving landscape, Energy Storage Summit Asia is your guide to this burgeoning market. Now in its second year, the Summit gathers independent generators, policymakers, banks, funds, offtakers, and cutting-edge technology providers and clarifies what successful energy storage procurement and deployment strategies look like. Topics covered include macro-level policy, supply chain dynamics, financing strategies, co-location considerations, safety measures, microgrid insights and more.

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