University of Manchester researchers: LDES must be ‘future-proofed’

A new paper by a University of Manchester researcher highlights the importance of long-term energy storage (LDES) technology in the transition to net zero.

In an article published on Policy@Manchester on the site, Professor Robert Dryfe highlighted the need for better battery energy storage systems (BESS), as well as drawing attention to the University’s research into redox flow batteries (RFBs).

Professor Dryfe argues that “a transition to renewables must be accompanied by a technology transition to large-scale battery storage” alongside “a similar transition to the storage required to ‘store’ this renewable energy”.

While lithium-ion batteries are the most widely used technology in the battery space, problems with these systems hinder their usefulness in some ways: their flammability, which limits their use in airports and ports, and their use of rare earth elements, including cobalt , which significantly increases their costs.

In response, researchers at the University of Manchester have conducted research into RFBs with the aim of harnessing the advantages of this technology while addressing the current barriers to mass deployment of RFBs.

Currently, RFBs can be prohibitively expensive due to their reliance on vanadium, a rare and therefore extremely expensive element. However, Professor Dryfe and his research team said they were “developing systems that avoid the use of relatively rare materials such as vanadium”, adding that “our work to develop ‘post-vanadium’ technology also has the advantage of low flammability and that it is non-corrosive.”

Professor Dryfe notes that the UK’s commitment to decarbonise the electricity system by 2035 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050 “will require significant changes in domestic and industrial energy sources, as these sectors account for a large percentage of total energy consumption “.

He and his research team strongly believe that RFBs, as an important part of expanding LDES technology, are key to the UK’s energy transition. Professor Dryfe says: “To accelerate scale and reduce the cost of battery storage, the UK needs to encourage investment in technologies that are capable of longer-term storage, which in the battery context means developing new types of RFBs that break the current addiction. on critical materials such as vanadium.”

He adds: “Deployment of smaller-scale RFBs capable of providing both stored and back-up power to industrial sites and other important facilities such as hospitals should also be considered. “

Dryfe is also advocating for increased use of Local Energy Plans (LAEPs): detailed plans set out by local authorities detailing exactly where clean energy assets such as solar PV and battery storage can be developed, providing clarity for developers.

He said: “By working with local authorities and integrating LDES technology into LAEP, effective solutions to strategic decarbonisation challenges – for example decarbonisation of domestic/industrial heating – are possible. Therefore, policy makers should consider making LAEPs mandatory and work with stakeholders to develop a funded framework.”