Energy storage breakthroughs enable a strong and secure energy landscape at Argonne

LEMONT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Best known for their applications in consumer electronics and electric vehicles, batteries power far more than our daily tools. Innovations in energy storage — the capture of energy produced at one time for later use — can protect against supply chain disruptions, reinforce the grid and foster U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.

At the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, researchers are advancing breakthroughs at every stage in the energy storage lifecycle. From discovering substitutes for scarce, critical materials to pioneering new, real-world applications to making end-of-life recycling more cost effective.

Energy storage offers many benefits, but it also is complicated by supply chain challenges that affect how technologies are developed and used. Over the last few decades, scientists have dramatically improved lithium-ion batteries in terms of how much energy they can store and how long they last.

As a result, they are now widely used in appliances, vehicles and on the grid. They enable the grid to be more dependable in the face of rising electricity demand and natural disasters. Lithium-ion batteries, however, rely heavily on critical elements like lithium, cobalt and nickel, which are predominantly found abroad. Consequently, battery supply chains are often vulnerable to disruption.

DOE and the national laboratories are working to protect energy infrastructure from potential supply shocks — whether from market fluctuations or national security threats. This requires safe and low-cost energy storage solutions that utilize domestic materials. To meet this need, researchers are working to improve the performance and lifespan of sodium-ion and water-based battery alternatives.

Argonne has long served as a global leader in battery science. Most notably, Argonne researchers played a key role in the development of the nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide cathode, which is in many electric vehicles today.

Currently, the laboratory is deploying artificial intelligence (AI) for materials discovery, testing cutting-edge chemistries and supporting U.S. innovation ecosystems to ensure that Argonne innovations match what the market demands.

“Batteries are a foundation for American energy abundance, and Argonne researchers can help ensure that tomorrow’s energy storage technologies are safe, efficient, long-lasting and domestically produced,” said Venkat Srinivasan, director of the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science and the Low-cost Earth-abundant Na-ion Storage Consortium. “Rooted in fundamental science, our approach supports the U.S. energy storage landscape through practical innovations that use a wide array of battery materials. We’re also harnessing the power of AI to accelerate the pace of discovery and leapfrog current energy storage paradigms.”

To support early-stage energy storage research, Argonne leads the Energy Storage Research Alliance, a DOE Energy Innovation Hub that includes Lawrence Berkeley and Pacific Northwest national laboratories and eleven universities across the U.S.