LC-BAT-5 Cluster workshop on Si-Gr electrodes

LC-BAT-5 Cluster workshop on Si-Gr electrodes

Last week, the LC-BAT-5 Cluster hosted its first in-person workshop at the Ångstroem Laboratory in Uppsala, Sweden.

The goal of the two-day workshop, organised by the HYDRA project, was to establish best practices for Si-Gr electrode research and agree on common reporting standards so that data published by each of the LC-BAT-5 projects (COBRA, 3beLiEVe, SeNSE & HYDRA) can be reusable and interoperable.

A total of 50 people attended the workshop (25 in-person and 25 virtual) hailing from 19 institutes spanning research and industry, each representing one or more of the four LC-BAT-5 projects.

COBRA: IREC, Uppsala University, CIDETEC, Solvionic, and Resitec.
3beLiEVe: Customcells Holding Gmbh, CIC energiGUNE, AIT, Vianode, Topsoe, and Arkema.
SeNSE: Empa, MEET, FZJ, and Enwires.
HYDRA: SINTEF, Uppsala University, ICSI, Vinode, Vianode, UCL, Solvionic, and POLITO.

Each project led a session of 1.5 hours on a different topic related to electrode research.

SeNSE explored methods of electrode preparation, COBRA led the discussion on electrolyte composition, HYDRA explored electrochemical operating parameters and 3beLiEVe focused on cycling stability and capacity fade mitigation.

The LC-BAT-5 Cluster was formed in 2020 to take advantage of synergies in communication, dissemination and technical matters. Together we are working on next-generation lithium-ion batteries made in Europe.

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Experts gather to discuss the ‘Batteries of the Future’

Experts gather to discuss the ‘Batteries of the Future’

On Tuesday November 24th, COBRA, in coordination with the rest of the LC-BAT-5 cluster projects (HYDRA, SeNSE and 3beLiEVe ) hosted the ‘Batteries of the Future’ webinar.

The webinar brought together experts from European research, industry, and policy organisations, who shared insights from their ongoing work and their opinions on how battery-related technologies will evolve in the future.

3beLiEVe Coordinator Boschidar Ganev presented the projects key requirements to contribute to a circular economy
Dr. Simon Clark says HYDRA lives up to its name by taking on a multi-headed approach to developing new Li-ion batteries

The discussions covered a large spectrum of battery-related technologies, from cathodes, anodes and electrolytes, to BMS, sensors, and pack design. With the performance of lithium batteries having seen spectacular improvements in the last few years (particularly energy density and lifetime), many of the challenges mentioned were the need to reduce costs as well as improve recycling and the overall circularity of li-based systems.

Some of the highlights of the discussions among the experts include the challenge of increasing the cost of sensing due to the increasing needs of end-use applications – especially electromobility – and therefore the need to extract more value (in the form of data) from them.

In the manufacturing domain, the need for automatisation and control methods in cell manufacturing, together with a focus on reducing manufacturing times to enable mass production cells with integrated sensors was pointed out. The need to reuse and recycle batteries was also mentioned several times, both to improve sustainability, as well as to decouple European production with problematic raw material sources. To round-off the discussion, all of these elements were put into a global perspective to assess the (future) European competitiveness in the Li-ion battery field.

Dr. Ruben Kühnel mentioned that SeNSE welcomes anyone developing silicon/graphite composites to get in touch.
Maarten Buysse of Bax & Company explained how they can support the creation of successful large-scale collaborative R&I initiatives

Finally, over 100 people attended the event from around the world, having the opportunity to actively take part in the discussions by posing questions to the experts and providing their perspectives on the future of batteries.

For more information on the event, contact cobra@baxcompany.com or visit our Twitter and LinkedIn channels.