and sodium-sulphur batteries. Electromagnetic
energy storage includes super capacitors and
superconducting magnetic energy storage. Others
includes fuel cells and metal-air batteries. In
addition, there are many technologies at the
frontier stage of development. These can be
divided into two categories—the first is improving or optimising conventional technologies like
lithium-sulphur batteries and liquefied air energy
storage; the second is designing and developing
new technologies, such as lithium-air and aluminium ion batteries.
(2) Global development trends
Energy storage is about to become an important
driver of change in the energy sector. The
International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that
the USA, Europe, China and India will increase
their energy storage capacity for grid-connected
electricity by 310 GW by 2050, at a cost of at
least $380 billion. A study by McKinsey &
Company says energy storage will play a
game-changing role and have significant impact
on the global economy by 2025. Its predicted
market value is $0.1–0.6 trillion.
The USA, Japan and Europe have made
national R&D plans for energy storage technologies. As a result, their technology development and demonstration activities are making
rapid progress. Utilities like grid operators, large
energy equipment manufacturers and some
small- and medium-sized technology companies
see a great future for, and are making inroads
into, the energy storage market.
According to the IEA’s Technology Roadmap: Energy Storage (2017), energy storage is of
value for most energy systems, but the technologies vary greatly in terms of maturity. Currently, some small-scale energy storage systems
are cost-competitive in remote communities and
off-grid applications. Large-scale heat storage
technologies are cost-competitive in heating and
cooling applications. But more public support for
research and development of energy storage
technologies is needed.
The European Commission has introduced the
EU Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan and
materials roadmaps for energy applications and
low-carbon energy technologies. They describe
the research and innovation activities for materials critical to the development of 11 energy
technologies (wind, photovoltaic, concentrated
solar power, geothermal, electricity storage,
power grids, bioenergy, novel materials for fossil
fuels—including carbon capture and storage,
hydrogen and fuel cells, nuclear fission and
energy-efficient materials for buildings) over the
next 10 years.
The Materials Roadmap Enabling Low Carbon Energy Technologies considers energy
storage an important technology that can
improve the controllability and flexibility of the
European electricity system. Currently, most
energy storage technologies are too costly and
technically inadequate for system-level deployment and integration. Materials often restrict
performance improvement, and are a decisive
factor in the cost-effectiveness, efficiency and
reliability of energy storage deployment in the
grid. The commercialisation of large-scale
energy storage technologies is a priority task.
The Electrical Energy Storage Roadmap
describes an overall R&D plan for energy storage
systems and technologies. For instance, low-cost,
safe and sustainable electrochemical and electrolyte materials have super-electrochemical,
thermal and mechanical properties, as well as a
long life and the ability to withstand extreme
conditions. They can be used to innovate design
and manufacturing processes in lithium-ion and
redox-flow batteries, pumped storage, compressed air energy storage (CAES), electrolytic
capacitors, superconducting magnetic energy
storage and flywheel energy storage.
The roadmap focuses on the development of
new electrochemical pathways and on verifying
emerging technologies like metal-air and
solid-state batteries and liquid metal systems. It
describes four pilot projects that demonstrate
industry-scale, high-speed and low-cost deployment of electrical double-layer capacitors,
lithium-ion batteries, flywheel rotors and motors,
and compressor and dielectric materials resistant
to high heat and pressure that are used in CAES
heat storage containers. It also describes another
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S. Zifeng and N. Dickens
energy storage includes super capacitors and
superconducting magnetic energy storage. Others
includes fuel cells and metal-air batteries. In
addition, there are many technologies at the
frontier stage of development. These can be
divided into two categories—the first is improving or optimising conventional technologies like
lithium-sulphur batteries and liquefied air energy
storage; the second is designing and developing
new technologies, such as lithium-air and aluminium ion batteries.
(2) Global development trends
Energy storage is about to become an important
driver of change in the energy sector. The
International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that
the USA, Europe, China and India will increase
their energy storage capacity for grid-connected
electricity by 310 GW by 2050, at a cost of at
least $380 billion. A study by McKinsey &
Company says energy storage will play a
game-changing role and have significant impact
on the global economy by 2025. Its predicted
market value is $0.1–0.6 trillion.
The USA, Japan and Europe have made
national R&D plans for energy storage technologies. As a result, their technology development and demonstration activities are making
rapid progress. Utilities like grid operators, large
energy equipment manufacturers and some
small- and medium-sized technology companies
see a great future for, and are making inroads
into, the energy storage market.
According to the IEA’s Technology Roadmap: Energy Storage (2017), energy storage is of
value for most energy systems, but the technologies vary greatly in terms of maturity. Currently, some small-scale energy storage systems
are cost-competitive in remote communities and
off-grid applications. Large-scale heat storage
technologies are cost-competitive in heating and
cooling applications. But more public support for
research and development of energy storage
technologies is needed.
The European Commission has introduced the
EU Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan and
materials roadmaps for energy applications and
low-carbon energy technologies. They describe
the research and innovation activities for materials critical to the development of 11 energy
technologies (wind, photovoltaic, concentrated
solar power, geothermal, electricity storage,
power grids, bioenergy, novel materials for fossil
fuels—including carbon capture and storage,
hydrogen and fuel cells, nuclear fission and
energy-efficient materials for buildings) over the
next 10 years.
The Materials Roadmap Enabling Low Carbon Energy Technologies considers energy
storage an important technology that can
improve the controllability and flexibility of the
European electricity system. Currently, most
energy storage technologies are too costly and
technically inadequate for system-level deployment and integration. Materials often restrict
performance improvement, and are a decisive
factor in the cost-effectiveness, efficiency and
reliability of energy storage deployment in the
grid. The commercialisation of large-scale
energy storage technologies is a priority task.
The Electrical Energy Storage Roadmap
describes an overall R&D plan for energy storage
systems and technologies. For instance, low-cost,
safe and sustainable electrochemical and electrolyte materials have super-electrochemical,
thermal and mechanical properties, as well as a
long life and the ability to withstand extreme
conditions. They can be used to innovate design
and manufacturing processes in lithium-ion and
redox-flow batteries, pumped storage, compressed air energy storage (CAES), electrolytic
capacitors, superconducting magnetic energy
storage and flywheel energy storage.
The roadmap focuses on the development of
new electrochemical pathways and on verifying
emerging technologies like metal-air and
solid-state batteries and liquid metal systems. It
describes four pilot projects that demonstrate
industry-scale, high-speed and low-cost deployment of electrical double-layer capacitors,
lithium-ion batteries, flywheel rotors and motors,
and compressor and dielectric materials resistant
to high heat and pressure that are used in CAES
heat storage containers. It also describes another
348
S. Zifeng and N. Dickens