Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SIMBA (Sodium-Ion and sodium Metal BAtteries for efficient and sustainable next-generation energy storage)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-05-01 bis 2023-04-30
SIMBA aims to develop a highly cost-effective, safe, all-solid-state-battery with sodium as the mobile ionic charge carrier, instead of the critical element lithium, for stationary energy storage applications.
This is important for allowing cost-effective and safe stationary batteries to store energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar.
In addition, ìn the SIMBA battery the critical materials employed in lithium-ion batteries will be replaced with widely abundant and sustainable materials paving the way towards greener, more sustainable, lower cost next generation energy storage technologies.
This is important for allowing cost-effective and safe stationary batteries to store energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar.
In addition, ìn the SIMBA battery the critical materials employed in lithium-ion batteries will be replaced with widely abundant and sustainable materials paving the way towards greener, more sustainable, lower cost next generation energy storage technologies.
Within the first phase of the project (M1 – M16) the SIMBA consortium focused on addressing the Key Performance Indicators allowing to meet the project targets in terms of cost and sustainability.
In parallel a baseline SIMBA cell was developed and tested including circular economy aspects.
Furthermore, the SIMBA consortium has been developing and investigating two anode materials, a Solid-State Electrolyte (SSE) and two cathode materials at the laboratory scale.
To better understand the developed materials and the interface between them, the protocol of the study of interfacial phenomena has been elaborated.
A complex approach allowing the characterisation of electrode-electrolyte interactions in line with charge transfer process in the electrode and electrolyte and across the interface using various experimental and modelling approaches has been developed.
The SIMBA consortium has also started working on scaling-up materials and on the optimisation of the electrode (anode and cathode) manufacturing.
In parallel first safety tests have been performed in line with the work on the reclamation of the battery materials.
The SIMBA partners have regularly exchanged the information about the project progress with other partners, EU project officer and disseminated its studies with the scientific community and with the society.
Within the second phase of the project (M17 – M28) the SIMBA consortium focused on on choosing the electrode materials for the final SIMBA cells and on finalizing the development of single-ion conducting solid electrolyte (until M24). Before the final choice, the main developments in WP2 Lab scale material and process development have been described and submitted as deliverables. This concerned the optimization of the Anode, Cathode and Single-ion Conducting Polymer Electrolyte materials. Based on these results the second milestone of the project was achieved: the selection of the Best Performance Materials for the SIMBA Cell.
At the end of July 2022 (M17) the SIMBA Consortium met to wrap up the first 18 months with a first face-to-face General Assembly meeting in the Georg-Christoph-Lichtenberg-Haus in Darmstadt. On the second day of this meeting, the first Advisory Board workshop was held. Within the SIMBA project a strong Advisory Board (AB) has been established, consisting of end users of the battery producers Leclanche, VARTA and GAZ, the battery end user EnBW and the regulators ENEA. In the morning the SIMBA partners presented an overview of the SIMBA developments versus the State-of-the-Art (SoA), whereas in the afternoon within smaller groups, SIMBA Partners and AB members discussed challenges ahead and the future pathways in the field of Na-ion battery.
By the end of the year 2022 (M24) Prussian White cathode material invented and commercialized by Altris and Hard Carbon anode material synthesized and upscaled by Elkem were chosen for further cell production steps. Moreover, HIU-KIT successfully upscaled the synthesis of single-ion conducting solid electrolyte. Within the coming months SIMBA consortium, besides building the solid-state cell, will focus on the development of a full storage system assembly and testing.
By the end of the year 2022 the deliverable entitled “Supply chain analysis and materials sourcing for manufacturing” focusing on analyzing the origin and criticality of the materials used in the SIMBA project, and on providing an overview of the materials supply chain based on data provided by the partners in the project have been submitted. The supply chain data was provided by partners both via Excel spreadsheets and through the LEAFS platform, and then collated and analyzed by University of Birmingham. The origin of the raw materials used to produce the anode, cathode, and membrane electrolyte materials manufactured in SIMBA were identified and transportation flows were mapped out. The criticality and strategic importance of the materials were highlighted, and potential supply risks were identified.
In parallel a baseline SIMBA cell was developed and tested including circular economy aspects.
Furthermore, the SIMBA consortium has been developing and investigating two anode materials, a Solid-State Electrolyte (SSE) and two cathode materials at the laboratory scale.
To better understand the developed materials and the interface between them, the protocol of the study of interfacial phenomena has been elaborated.
A complex approach allowing the characterisation of electrode-electrolyte interactions in line with charge transfer process in the electrode and electrolyte and across the interface using various experimental and modelling approaches has been developed.
The SIMBA consortium has also started working on scaling-up materials and on the optimisation of the electrode (anode and cathode) manufacturing.
In parallel first safety tests have been performed in line with the work on the reclamation of the battery materials.
The SIMBA partners have regularly exchanged the information about the project progress with other partners, EU project officer and disseminated its studies with the scientific community and with the society.
Within the second phase of the project (M17 – M28) the SIMBA consortium focused on on choosing the electrode materials for the final SIMBA cells and on finalizing the development of single-ion conducting solid electrolyte (until M24). Before the final choice, the main developments in WP2 Lab scale material and process development have been described and submitted as deliverables. This concerned the optimization of the Anode, Cathode and Single-ion Conducting Polymer Electrolyte materials. Based on these results the second milestone of the project was achieved: the selection of the Best Performance Materials for the SIMBA Cell.
At the end of July 2022 (M17) the SIMBA Consortium met to wrap up the first 18 months with a first face-to-face General Assembly meeting in the Georg-Christoph-Lichtenberg-Haus in Darmstadt. On the second day of this meeting, the first Advisory Board workshop was held. Within the SIMBA project a strong Advisory Board (AB) has been established, consisting of end users of the battery producers Leclanche, VARTA and GAZ, the battery end user EnBW and the regulators ENEA. In the morning the SIMBA partners presented an overview of the SIMBA developments versus the State-of-the-Art (SoA), whereas in the afternoon within smaller groups, SIMBA Partners and AB members discussed challenges ahead and the future pathways in the field of Na-ion battery.
By the end of the year 2022 (M24) Prussian White cathode material invented and commercialized by Altris and Hard Carbon anode material synthesized and upscaled by Elkem were chosen for further cell production steps. Moreover, HIU-KIT successfully upscaled the synthesis of single-ion conducting solid electrolyte. Within the coming months SIMBA consortium, besides building the solid-state cell, will focus on the development of a full storage system assembly and testing.
By the end of the year 2022 the deliverable entitled “Supply chain analysis and materials sourcing for manufacturing” focusing on analyzing the origin and criticality of the materials used in the SIMBA project, and on providing an overview of the materials supply chain based on data provided by the partners in the project have been submitted. The supply chain data was provided by partners both via Excel spreadsheets and through the LEAFS platform, and then collated and analyzed by University of Birmingham. The origin of the raw materials used to produce the anode, cathode, and membrane electrolyte materials manufactured in SIMBA were identified and transportation flows were mapped out. The criticality and strategic importance of the materials were highlighted, and potential supply risks were identified.
Besides a significant forecasted cost reduction of the SIMBA battery, the most important advantage of SIMBA storage relies on widely abundant and non-harmful electrode and electrolyte materials which are sustainable and produced in EU.
It should be mentioned that SIMBA Partner Altris announced the successful fund-raising round, which will serve to construct Ferrum - the first industrial production of Fennac, a sustainable sodium-ion battery cathode material in the beginning of 2022.
The first output of 1800 m2 Ferrum facility is expected in early 2023. In connection to that news, the SIMBA consortium is convinced that the technology developed within this project will become competitive over the coming years. An important task for this project is to include the feedback from the industrial partners to implement the SIB technology in their existing manufacturing lines.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the criticality of the resources and their availability have gained even more attention than before. Thus, it has become crucial for EU to develop energy storage systems local resources. This is what is realized within SIMBA project and makes it strategically important for the successful introduction of batteries full “made in Europe”.
It should be mentioned that SIMBA Partner Altris announced the successful fund-raising round, which will serve to construct Ferrum - the first industrial production of Fennac, a sustainable sodium-ion battery cathode material in the beginning of 2022.
The first output of 1800 m2 Ferrum facility is expected in early 2023. In connection to that news, the SIMBA consortium is convinced that the technology developed within this project will become competitive over the coming years. An important task for this project is to include the feedback from the industrial partners to implement the SIB technology in their existing manufacturing lines.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the criticality of the resources and their availability have gained even more attention than before. Thus, it has become crucial for EU to develop energy storage systems local resources. This is what is realized within SIMBA project and makes it strategically important for the successful introduction of batteries full “made in Europe”.