Surface and Interface phenomena in sustainable energy storage systems

Informations projet

StoreAGE

N° de convention de subvention: 101119913

DOI

10.3030/101119913

Date de signature de la CE 11 Juillet 2023

Date de début 1 Octobre 2023

Date de fin 30 Septembre 2027

Financé au titre de

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Coût total

Aucune donnée

Contribution de l’UE

€ 2 886 800,40

Coordonné par

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN
Austria

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

Période du rapport: 2023-10-01 au 2025-09-30

Résumé du contexte et des objectifs généraux du projet

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

Travail effectué depuis le début du projet jusqu’à la fin de la période considérée dans le rapport et principaux résultats atteints jusqu’à présent

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.

Progrès au-delà de l’état des connaissances et impact potentiel prévu (y compris l’impact socio-économique et les conséquences sociétales plus larges du projet jusqu’à présent)

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.