Batteries

Zero-Emission TechnologyBatteriesRow 1
Written By Vincent Doedee

This page is all about electric energy storage, battery development and innovation, Tesla, hybrid sailing and electric transport. Do you have questions or would you like to contribute ideas? Scroll down to join the discussion @Mr. Communability, the community for a sustainable offshore industry.

 

Key Lessons

Key Insights
Important to Know
Important to Know

It is simply a matter of time before electric energy storage (grossly) outperforms other ways of (chemical) storage.

Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions

What are solid-state batteries? Where can I buy solid-state batteries for my vessel?

Cost Overview - Batteries
Cost Overview - Batteries

How much do marine battery systems costs? Find rules of thumb to create your own business case here.

Technical Specs & Standards
Technical Specs & Standards

Which technical specifications and standards apply when using marine battery technology? Download technical specs. and feasibility studies here.

 

More stories on batteries and electrification

Stories
What is the best home battery for you?
What is the best home battery for you?

If you value freedom, engineering and sustainability, you probably want to have a ‘home battery’ that stores and provides you with energy independent from the grid. But these are not as easily bought as your average turkey sandwich. Which battery do you need for your family? How do you install it? How much does it cost? This liveblog is intended to provide you with (some) of the answers.

Sustainalize this! 5 - Traffic Jam in “the Grid”
Sustainalize this! 5 - Traffic Jam in “the Grid”

What is solar inflation? What is “the grid” and why is it “full”? Why are Germany and Chile struggling with negative energy prices? Tune in with our special guest Benjamin, as we discuss these questions, what they mean to electricity production in the future and how we could potentially solve these massive challenges. In this episode you learn all about “the grid”, how complex it can be, where it is "failing" - we are still not certain - and the ultimate wizard solution: virtual power plants.

Sustainalize this! 4 - Battery Recycling
Sustainalize this! 4 - Battery Recycling

Will our kids ever know what it is like to refuel a car with gasoline, or will everything be electrified by then? In this episode Vincent and Yvo discuss electric batteries and what happens with them when they die. Learn all about battery basics, how they are recycled at the moment and in the future, plus how we could all be driving around like in Mario Kart in the future with wireless charging lanes. And remember, we are not the experts here. We are simply learning, together.

Overbuilding solar and wind yields a least-cost all-renewables grid
Overbuilding solar and wind yields a least-cost all-renewables grid

The global energy firm Wartsila modeled the least-cost renewables mix for all regions of the world, based on projected technology costs for 2030. The analysis shows that all regions require overbuilding of renewable capacity of up to four times. Contrary to popular belief, no seasonal storage is required, “only” four to ten days of multi-day storage capacity.

Off Grid Solar Battery! - So easy its *Almost* Cheating...
Off Grid Solar Battery! - So easy its *Almost* Cheating...

A great movie by JerryRigEverything that shows you exactly how easy it can be to install solar panels and hook them up to a local grid with battery storage.

Get Ready for the Alfa Lift, an Electric-Hybrid Heavy Lift Crane Vessel
Get Ready for the Alfa Lift, an Electric-Hybrid Heavy Lift Crane Vessel

The Alfa Lift, a new build heavy lift crane vessel owned by Offshore Heavy Transport, is on track to enter service by early 2022. The vessel features a 3,000 ton main crane, 10,000+ m² smart deck which can be fully submerged to a depth of 15 meters and a electric-hybrid battery system made by Kongsberg.

Northvolt acquires Cuberg
Northvolt acquires Cuberg

With Northvolt’s acquisition of Silicon Valley battery company Cuberg, we're launching Northvolt into a new tier of cell architecture and performance. With an innovative cell design, Cuberg's technology will unlock far higher performance from batteries than we achieve with today’s technology.

Battery Recycling, made by Northvolt
Battery Recycling, made by Northvolt

Northvolt has partnered with Hydro to establish a first-of-its-kind battery recycling facility. The recycling plant will come online in 2021 in Fredrikstad, outside of Oslo. At commissioning, the Hydro Volt plant will have initial capacity to process more than 8,000 tonnes of batteries per year – roughly the equivalent of 23,000 moderately sized EV batteries. Northvolt is aiming for 50% recycled material in new cells by 2030.

Will Renewables end up as landfill?
Will Renewables end up as landfill?

Solar and Wind energy are growing at a truly astonishing pace on every continent. But in the race for global supremacy in the power generation sector have we neglected to consider how we will deal with millions of panels and turbines when they come to the end of their useful lives? Are we storing up yet another environmental problem?

EV Battery Prices Plunge 89% in Ten Years
EV Battery Prices Plunge 89% in Ten Years

The price of a lithium-ion battery pack used to power an electric vehicle has plunged 89% in the last decade, from $1,100 per kWh to $137 per kWh. Marine batteries still cost significantly more, ranging between $800-$1,000 per kWh for retrofits to $500 per kWh for newbuilds. DNV expects the cost of batteries to be reduced by 56% by 2025.

Webinar - Kongsberg Hybrid Solutions
Webinar - Kongsberg Hybrid Solutions

A webinar on hybrid propulsion systems for offshore giving an introduction to a selection of our hybrid battery solutions and the advantages they offer.

The Big Friendly Hybrid Giant
The Big Friendly Hybrid Giant

The North Sea Giant, a Norwegian offshore construction vessel, is the first DNV class-approved ‘hybrid’ DP3 vessel with three batteries on-board that have a total capacity of 2.034 kWh. The batteries have been installed in an upgrade and serve the purpose of spinning reserve, peak shaving and load leveling. Since then, fuel consumption is reduced in all operational modes with over 2 million liters of diesel per year, saving up to 30% fuel.

The ‘Tesla Effect’ hits Germany as VW, Daimler, and BMW go Full-Electric
The ‘Tesla Effect’ hits Germany as VW, Daimler, and BMW go Full-Electric

The auto industry witnessed a historic event happening in Germany in 2019, which went by largely unnoticed. In a rare act of unity, the leaders of the country’s big three Automakers; Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche, and BMW CEO Harald Krüger, all agreed that the future of German auto is the electric car. Over the next decade, each CEO would be pushing their respective companies to shift and embrace the idea of an electrified fleet.

Nanotechnology turns Bricks into Batteries
Nanotechnology turns Bricks into Batteries

A team of researchers created small prototypes of ‘power bricks’ which are able to power small LEDs. The energy density is only about 1% of that of lithium ion batteries, but is believed this can be increased by tenfold. A brick costs only about 3 dollars to make.

Quantumscape Solid-State Showcase
Quantumscape Solid-State Showcase

A first look at QuantumScape’s groundbreaking solid-state electric vehicle battery technology. Warning: this video might change everything what you were told about batteries.

Batteries that charge up to 80% in 15 Minutes
Batteries that charge up to 80% in 15 Minutes

Volkswagen-backed QuantumScape is building a solid-state lithium metal battery for electric vehicles that it says should allow a car to charge to 80% of its full capacity in 15 minutes.

Hurtigruten’s New Hybrid Ships
Hurtigruten’s New Hybrid Ships

Designed in 2017 and launched in 2018, Hurtigreten has launched two new hybrid cruise vessels, the MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridjof Nansen, that can sail fully electric for up to 30 minutes. Not only will it significantly reduce emissions, a hybrid system is also extremely quit. Arctic exploration has never been so much fun!

What are (Solid-State) Lithium-Metal Batteries?
What are (Solid-State) Lithium-Metal Batteries?

The best explanatory video on regular lithium-ion batteries and solid-state lithium-ion batteries we have seen so far.

Quantumscape CEO on going public and why his battery technology will change the EV market
Quantumscape CEO on going public and why his battery technology will change the EV market

Quantumscape CEO Jagddep Singh discusses going public through a SPAC deal and his company's battery technology for electric vehicles.

Brussels warns for European Resource Scarcity
Brussels warns for European Resource Scarcity

The EU is currently 75% to 100% dependent on imports for most metals. With the EU's green and digital ambitions raw materials’ requirement requiring 18 times more lithium alone by 2030, this dependence must be reduced. She has come up with an action plan that includes setting up new European mines, which are not taken kindly upon by everyone. Lithi-yummy!

NorthVolt’s Battle Plan to Win the Upcoming Battery-Wars
NorthVolt’s Battle Plan to Win the Upcoming Battery-Wars

NortVolt, led by Tesla-Veteran Peter Carlsson, is building the very first European battery gigafactory. One that should counterbalance Elon Musk and, above all, the Asian producers. What is NorthVolt’s strategy to create a European battery power basis? An interview with CEO Peter Carlsson, who urges Europe to quickly build on its own battery knowledge.

Tesla’s Battery Day from a Maritime Perspective
Tesla’s Battery Day from a Maritime Perspective

Using Tesla’s announcements of Battery Day, DNV expects the cost of batteries to be reduced by 56% (measured in $/kWh) by 2025. Worldwide, DNV predicts that passenger electric vehicles are likely to start outselling their internal combustion engine counterparts from 2032 onwards. In North America, Europe and China this will take place well before 2030.  Tesla’s success could spill over from land-based vehicles into adjacent transport sectors. On the assumption of success on all fronts, Tesla will achieve the critical battery density for short range electric airplanes – namely 400 Wh/kg with high cycle life.

Making the Impossible Possible
Making the Impossible Possible

This blog sketches a vision on how to convert the largest crane vessel in the world - Sleipnir - owned by Heerema Marine Contractors, to a zero-emission vessel. Several promising carbon reduction measures are combined which are technically viable and based on matured technology, although scaling of existing technologies and cooperation with key partners is required. Key technologies include electrification, on-board batteries, solar panels, synthetic fuels, carbon capture and storage and possibly hydrogen.

Ørsted and Maersk to Test Offshore Vessel Charger
Ørsted and Maersk to Test Offshore Vessel Charger

Maersk and Ørsted are building a ‘power-buoy’ that can act as both a mooring point and a charging station for vessels, enabling them to turn of their engines when laying idle.

Tesla’s Biggest Announcements from Battery Day 2020
Tesla’s Biggest Announcements from Battery Day 2020

Tesla announced new ‘tabless’ batteries, aims to phase out cobalt and plans for investing in a new cathode plant. Their goal is to improve affordability by building a $25,000 electric car.

Tesla Battery Day in 16 minutes
Tesla Battery Day in 16 minutes

Elon Musk made some big announcements. The company is planning to get rid of Cobalt in their batteries and to manufacture its own “tabless” batteries, called 4860 cells. This type of battery is six times more powerful, and the range will be increased by 16 percent. The new battery technology will make a $25,000 Tesla car a reality.

So, What Exactly Is Building Electrification?
So, What Exactly Is Building Electrification?

Full electrification of buildings is a crucial step in the energy transition. To reduce fossil fuel dependency in buildings, heat-pumps are key.

Recycling vehicle batteries
Recycling vehicle batteries

Helen Czerski went to Wendeburg in Germany to see if it really is possible to recycle the materials in vehicle batteries. She shows how this new and rapidly growing industry is developing and coming up with some interesting results, with lithium-iron batteries being economically recycled up to 70% (91% including graphite). Please send this to all the people you know who say 'what about when we throw all these fancy batteries into landfill.

Tesla Virtual Power Plant: A Technical Guide
Tesla Virtual Power Plant: A Technical Guide

Colin Breck and Percy Link explore the evolution of Tesla's Virtual Power Plant (VPP) architecture. A VPP is a network of distributed energy-resources (often solar, wind, batteries) that are aggregated to provide smarter and more flexible power generation, distribution, and availability. Tesla's VPP consists of vertically integrated hardware and software, including both cloud and edge computing.

The Trouble with Cobalt by Joe Scott
The Trouble with Cobalt by Joe Scott

Electric cars have a dark secret - cobalt. The element that is in almost all lithium-ion batteries is often considered a conflict mineral because half of all cobalt reserves are found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a troubled region with over a century of instability. But is it as bad as the anti-EV crowd has led us to believe? What's the reality of the situation, and what are some of the solutions?

 

Ask us anything in the comments

Vincent Doedee
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