Surface and Interface phenomena in sustainable energy storage systems

Project Information

StoreAGE

Grant agreement ID: 101119913

DOI

10.3030/101119913

EC signature date 11 July 2023

Start date 1 October 2023

End date 30 September 2027

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 2 886 800,40

Coordinated by

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - StoreAGE (Surface and Interface phenomena in sustainable energy storage systems)

Reporting period: 2023-10-01 to 2025-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Europe’s transition to a climate-neutral, resource-efficient energy system relies on safe, affordable and sustainable energy-storage technologies. As renewable electricity expands, long-duration storage becomes essential for grid stability, energy security and reduced dependence on imported raw materials. Meanwhile, rising demand for lithium-ion batteries intensifies pressure on critical raw-material supply chains and increases the environmental footprint of current technologies. Meeting these challenges requires storage systems that are efficient, recyclable, based on abundant materials, and supported by a skilled workforce able to translate fundamental research into industrial innovation.

StoreAge addresses this need by uniting leading universities, industry partners and 13 Doctoral Candidates to develop sustainable electrochemical storage technologies in three areas: (i) next-generation organic redox-flow batteries, (ii) advanced lithium-ion batteries with improved lifetime and stability, and (iii) sustainable sourcing, recycling and circular-economy approaches for lithium and vanadium. Through combined experimental, computational, spectroscopic and techno-economic work, the consortium aims to deliver solutions that are scientifically robust and industrially relevant.

Impact is driven by strong academic–industrial co-supervision, secondments and interdisciplinary training in modelling, operando analytics, materials synthesis, process design and sustainability assessment. This ensures rapid evaluation of scientific results for practical deployment.

The project supports major EU policy goals, including the European Green Deal, the SET Plan and the Critical Raw Materials Act. It targets 10–15% improvements in battery lifetime, the development of safer redox-active materials, and viable models for domestic supply chains. These contributions can reduce reliance on imports, lower environmental impacts and facilitate large-scale renewable integration.

Overall, StoreAge advances knowledge, materials and skilled talent, strengthening Europe’s capacity to innovate in the evolving battery landscape and supporting long-term societal and economic benefits. For more information see storeage.eu and the individual research group websites

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the reporting period, StoreAge achieved major progress across all three research pillars. In Work Package 1, integrated computational and experimental work advanced organic redox-flow batteries (ORFBs). Molecular-dynamics modelling clarified structural and transport properties of membranes and non-aqueous electrolytes, while new spectro-electrochemical methods and custom cells revealed detailed degradation pathways of key redox molecules. These insights shifted the consortium’s focus toward molecular stability as the main performance bottleneck, guiding the design of more robust redox species and electrolyte formulations.

Work on vanadium redox-flow batteries identified both homogeneous and heterogeneous additives that enhance accessible capacity, with several formulations already exceeding the targeted 10% improvement, providing a strong basis for further optimisation.

In Work Package 2, significant advances were made in understanding degradation and interfacial processes in lithium-ion batteries. A new operando soft X-ray platform enabled real-time tracking of redox processes in organic electrodes. For Ni-rich layered cathodes, combined XAS/RIXS and diffraction studies showed that spin-state regulation governs structural recovery during regeneration, leading to a dopant-based strategy that restores near-commercial cycling performance. Parallel investigations demonstrated that tailored ionic-liquid and inorganic additives can form more stable SEI/CEI layers for silicon anodes and high-voltage cathodes.

Work Package 3 delivered progress on sustainable sourcing. A full vanadium supply-chain assessment was completed, and lithium-titanate–containing membranes were synthesised and validated for selective lithium adsorption from complex brines, showing high selectivity and stable cycling.

Overall, these achievements establish strong mechanistic foundations, new analytical tools, and promising material platforms for next-generation sustainable energy-storage technologies.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

StoreAge has generated several advances that go beyond current scientific and technological practice. In organic redox-flow batteries, the project delivered the first integrated molecular–experimental framework capable of resolving degradation mechanisms of non-aqueous redox couples in real time. This represents a step change from empirical screening toward mechanism-guided molecular design, enabling targeted development of more stable organic electrolytes. In lithium-ion batteries, the consortium established new operando X-ray tools and spectroscopic protocols that provide direct insight into interfacial evolution and electronic reconstruction—capabilities not available in standard laboratory characterisation. The discovery that spin-state control in layered cathodes governs their regenerability offers a novel design principle for more circular, repairable battery materials. Meanwhile, the development of LTO-based selective membranes for lithium recovery from complex brines demonstrates an innovative pathway for environmentally compatible sourcing of critical raw materials.