Beyond Lithium Ion Batteries - Multivalent Ion Batteries?

One of the key issues to a transition toward distributed generation based upon renewables is energy storage.  Battery technology needs to get better and cheaper.  Of course, battery technology improvements will also drive, or at least accelerate, the transition to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

So it was with interest this past week that I read an article in Nikkei regarding a symposium on battery R&D held in Kansai on the 8th and 9th of October.  The article discusses the announcement of what are claimed to be major advancements at Osaka University and Kyoto University in so-called multivalent ion batteries.

The battery uses oxide material (酸化物材料) at its positive electrode and magnesium and aluminium at its negative electrode.  The battery does not have the problems of lithium ion -- risk of becoming unstable and starting a fire, for example.  And it would have a MUCH higher energy density, such that the research teams speculate it would permit an electric vehicle with a greater range than current gasoline-powered vehicles.

The goal is that within five years these batteries would be commercialized to the point where they can be used for residential battery storage for solar PV generated power.

It goes without saying, but there are research programs as well on various new battery technologies,  including multivalent ion batteries in the U.S and elsewhere.  That said, Japan has shown real leadership in commercializing other battery technologies -- including lithium ion -- and may well get there first in the next major transition.

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UPDATE:  In 2014, we have seen numerous announcements about vanadium and other redox flow batteries for on and off grid storage with renewable energy projects.  These are large systems, lacking the energy density to be used in vehicles, but for energy storage they offer the benefit of nearly unlimited cycles -- with expected lives of 10 years or more.  The costs are coming down and there are actually several products on the market.  See this later post for more.