Consortium for Battery Innovation calls on governments, industry to boost climate-friendly technologies

“We need to see a huge uplift in rechargeable battery energy storage if countries are to get anywhere near the global targets for reducing carbon emissions,” the executive said. “As we approach the COP26 talks later this year, we should be pressing for more commitments to support battery research into new and existing technologies in partnership with industry.”

Rosenkranz said that the Consortium for Battery Innovation, which is led by scientists with expertise in the lead and lead battery industry, is working on research projects in Europe, the United States and Asia which have the potential to significantly improve the performance of advanced lead batteries.

He said that the group’s current technical program is demonstrating that there are ways to improve batteries’ dynamic charge acceptance by up to 40%. Also known as DCA, the technology is a performance enhancement crucial for the growing micro-hybrid market, predicted to represent 75% of US car sales by 2030 and 60% globally.

Rosenkranz said that the Consortium is also working on mechanisms to show how tools such as battery management systems can significantly improve cycle life, a key technical parameter for energy storage applications.  

“But we need to see a concerted effort to support further research efforts to support high-performance, reliable and cost-effective batteries for the future,” the head of the CBI said.