[USA] DOE offers $3.5B for battery manufacturing

On November 15, 2023, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $3.5 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to boost domestic production of advanced batteries and battery materials.[1] The funding is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and will create new, retrofitted, and expanded domestic facilities for battery-grade processed critical minerals, battery precursor materials, battery components, and cell and pack manufacturing. The opportunity is administered by DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC). This funding opportunity is the second phase of $6 billion in total provided by the BIL. In the first phase, the DOE awarded fifteen projects that could catalyze over $5.8 billion in public/private investment. This next phase will boost domestic battery materials processing as well as battery production. The DOE said it will prioritize projects that create jobs for low- and moderate-income communities and support the administration’s Justice40 Initiative, a plan that 40% of overall benefits from federal investments go to underserved communities.

The DOE will prioritize next-generation technologies and battery chemistries in addition to lithium-based technologies. Other focus areas include precursor production and manufacturing for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle markets. The department said it “is also calling for projects that will increase separation of battery-grade critical materials, expand production facilities for cathode and anode materials production, and expand battery component manufacturing facilities (i.e., projects that will attract further investment into topic areas solicited in the program’s first phase).” Concept papers are due January 9, 2024, while applications are due March 19, 2024.

[1] https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-announces-35-billion-strengthen-domestic-battery-manufacturing

[USA] American Battery Factory Inc. plans to build new battery gigafactory and headquarters in Tucson, AZ

On December 6, 2022, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R) and Paul Charles, President and CEO of American Battery Factory (ABF), announced that Tucson, Arizona, will be the site for the first in a planned series of battery cell gigafactories.[1] The site will also serve as ABF’s official headquarters. The $1.2 billion manufacturing facility will be the largest gigafactory for the production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells in U.S. According to the press release, the first phase of the factory’s opening will provide approximately 300 good jobs, with up to 1,000 cumulative jobs in the future. ABF plans to have its headquarters, research and development center, and initial factory module built within the next 18 to 24 months. Project partners include Governor Doug Ducey, Arizona Commerce Authority, Sun Corridor Inc., Pima County, City of Tucson, Pima Community College, and Tucson Electric Power. The company has partnered with Celgard (along with their parent company Asahi Kasei) for innovation and key cell components and Anovion for synthetic graphite. ABF also plans to work with Honeywell to provide automation, cybersecurity, and optimization products and services.

[1] https://americanbatteryfactory.com/press/2022-12-06/abf-selects-tuscon-az

[USA] National laboratories launch consortium to accelerate the growth of energy storage for buildings

On November 15, 2022, the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) announced that they will co-lead a new consortium, called Stor4Build, on energy storage for buildings that will accelerate the growth, optimization, and deployment of storage technologies.[1] Energy storage is necessary for the large-scale deployment of renewable electricity, electrification, and decarbonization. As much as 50% of electricity consumption in buildings in the U..S. currently goes toward meeting thermal loads. Thermal energy storage (TES) solutions could be a cost-effective energy storage alternative. TES is energy that can be stored in a material as a heat source or cold sink instead of as electrical energy and can be reserved for use at a different time. TES solutions can increase load flexibility, promote the use of renewable energy sources, and allow heat pumps to function more effectively and in more extreme climates.

The goal is for TES systems to reach installed capital costs of less than $15 per kWh of stored thermal energy. Stor4Build plans to develop metrics for identifying optimal performance targets for power and energy density, working temperature, materials and systems costs, round-trip efficiency, lifetime and durability, installation and operation, and maintenance costs. The consortium plans to complete a community-scale demonstration of technologies to showcase its initial achievements. The demonstration project will serve as a foundation for large-scale deployments of TES, along with electrochemical battery energy storage and systems capable of satisfying both the heating and cooling needs in buildings. Stor4Build will focus resources and efforts on developing zero-carbon, equitable, and affordable building TES technologies. The consortium will also release a road map report targeting technical and market gaps to be addressed to allow the market adoption and transformation needed for energy storage technologies in buildings.

[1] https://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2022/national-laboratories-launch-buildings-consortium-leveraging-benefits-thermal-electrochemical-energy-storage-americans.html

[USA] Biden invokes Defense Production Act to boost domestic battery manufacturing

On March 31, 2022, President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) to spur domestic mining and processing of minerals used to make batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage facilities.[1] The DPA is a Cold War-era law that gives the president significant emergency authority to bolster domestic industries.[2] The move is part of a two-part path designed to address rising energy costs caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine; in addition to using the DPA, Biden ordered the release of up to 1 million barrels a day for six months from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. According to the White House press release, the DPA will support lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and manganese production and processing. The Department of Defense will “implement this authority using strong environmental, labor, community, and tribal consultation standards.” The White House statement also noted that the administration is considering using the DPA to address other parts of the energy sector.

[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/31/fact-sheet-president-bidens-plan-to-respond-to-putins-price-hike-at-the-pump/?utm_campaign=Press%2FMedia%20Outreach&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=208653202&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_Q0ffmJOHAWL-D7Z5LZ4VFTUukayztJICXlTevL7e6II-icdY2-T-kjPVquu2pH3CCyJyxMsJ53deXsGO8Xs6ApKqCHkLboVha6umJvzJ2zQZfxe0&utm_content=208653202&utm_source=hs_email

[2] President Biden has previously invoked the DPA to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, Biden used the DPA to bolster vaccine supply.

[USA] Ford announces it will build two new campuses in Tennessee and Kentucky; plans to invest $11.4 B

Ford Motor Company announced plans on September 27, 2021, to build two new environmentally and technologically advanced campuses in Tennessee and Kentucky to produce the next generation of electric F-Series trucks and batteries to power future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles (EVs).[1] Ford and its partner SK Innovation, a South Korean energy developer, plan to invest $11.4 billion—the largest investment in EVs at one time by an automotive manufacturer in the U.S—and create nearly 11,000 new jobs at the Tennessee and Kentucky “mega-sites.”

The new $5.6 billion campus in Stanton, Tennessee, called Blue Oval City, will create approximately 6,000 new jobs and cover almost 6 square miles. The campus will build next-generation electric F-Series pickups and will include a BlueOvalSK battery plant, key suppliers, and recycling. The Tennessee plant will be carbon neutral with zero waste to landfills once fully operational. In Glendale, Kentucky, Ford will work with SK Innovation to build two battery plants, the $5.8 billion BlueOvalSK Battery Park. The plants will create 5,000 jobs and are intended to supply Ford’s North American assembly plants with locally assembled batteries. The three new battery plants will enable 129 GWh a year of U.S. production capacity for Ford. Investments in the new battery plants are planned to be made via BlueOvalSK, a new joint venture to be formed by Ford and SK Innovation.

[1] https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2021/09/27/ford-to-lead-americas-shift-to-electric-vehicles.html

[USA] Dominion Energy Virginia proposes more than 1,000 MW of new solar and energy storage

In its second annual clean energy filing with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) on September 16, 2021, Dominion Energy Virginia proposed more than 1,000 MW of new solar and energy storage projects, the largest clean energy expansion from the utility to date.[1] Dominion proposed 15 projects in total, including 11 utility-scale solar projects ranging from 18 MW to 150 MW, two small-scale distributed solar projects at 2 MW and 1.6 MW, one solar plus storage project (100 MW plus 50 MW stored), and one 20 MW stand-alone energy storage project. In addition, the proposal includes 32 competitively selected solar and energy storage project power purchase agreements (PPAs) that third-party providers will operate. Together, these projects will provide more than 1,000 MW of electricity, enough power to run more than 250,000 homes at peak output.

The proposed utility-owned projects will require SCC approval as well as local and state permits before construction can begin. If approved, the proposed projects will add about $1.13 to the average residential customer’s bill. The distributed solar projects and the stand-alone storage project are expected to be completed in 2022. The remaining projects are set to be completed in 2023. The proposed projects would advance the goals of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), which requires all electricity sales in-state to come from clean energy sources by 2045. According to the utility, the construction of the 15 utility-owned projects is also expected to generate more than $880 million in economic benefits across the state and support nearly 4,200 jobs.

[1] https://news.dominionenergy.com/2021-09-16-Dominion-Energy-Proposes-Largest-Expansion-of-Solar-and-Energy-Storage-for-Benefit-of-Customers

[Japan] Hokkaido Electric Power Network Selects Sumitomo Electric Industries’ Redox Flow Battery for Wind Power Generation

On July 14, 2020, Sumitomo Electric Industries (Headquarters: Osaka City, Sumitomo Electric) announced that its redox flow battery was selected for Hokkaido Electric Power Network’s (Headquarters: Sapporo City, Hokkaido Prefecture) wind energy grid interconnection expansion project. The project aims to connect fifteen wind power generation facilities, reaching a total capacity of 162MW.

In this project, Sumitomo Electric will install and maintain a redox flow battery with an installed capacity of 51MWh at Hokkaido Electric Power Network’s Minami-Hayakita Substation which is located in Yufutsu District, Hokkaido Prefecture. A redox flow battery is a type of battery storage that charges and discharges via the oxidation-reduction reactions (redox reactions) of metal ions in the electrolyte. Sumitomo Electric’s redox flow battery features a long life, high reliability, and durability to fire hazards.

The installation of Sumitomo Electric’s redox flow battery will begin in FY 2020 and is expected to be completed by the end of March 2022. The operational period is scheduled from April 2022 to March 2043. Prior to this installation, Hokkaido Electric Power Network has been conducting a large-scale demonstration project since 2015 using Sumitomo Electric’s redox flow battery at Minami-Hayakita Substation to test its operational reliability and safety. [1]

[1] https://sei.co.jp/company/press/2020/07/prs078.html

[USA] SCE procures 770 MW of battery storage to bolster California's grid

On May 1, 2020, Southern California Edison (SCE) announced that it is procuring a 770 MW/3,080 MWh package of battery resources to bolster grid reliability.[1] This procurement is more than the entire energy storage market in the U.S. for all of 2019. The utility has contracts with seven battery projects developers, ranging from 50 MW to 230 MW and slated to come online in August 2021. The largest of the projects is a 230 MW facility by NextEra Energy in California’s Riverside County. Most of the projects will be co-located with adjacent solar plants. The utility plans to ask the CPUC for approval of the contracts later in May 2020. According to SCE, the battery projects will enhance electric grid reliability and help address potential energy shortfalls identified by regulators in California. In 2019, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)raised concerns that retiring fossil fuel resources, shifting peak periods, and increasing levels of renewables would create reliability issues.[2] The CPUC has also stated that battery storage will play a critical role in California’s effort to supply all electricity from zero-carbon resources by 2045. Recently, the CPUC adopted an optimal resource portfolio to reach California’s goals; the portfolio requires 1 GW of long-duration storage by 2026 and tripling battery storage capacity from 2020 levels.

[1] https://newsroom.edison.com/releases/sce-grows-clean-energy-portfolio-enhances-system-reliability-with-770-megawatts-of-new-energy-storage-capacity

[2] http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M319/K349/319349071.PDF

[Japan] Kansai Electric Power Company Will Conduct a Demonstration Test on the Frequency Control of a Power System Using Storage Batteries

Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO, Headquarters: Osaka Prefecture) announced on November 29, 2019, that a total of 10 companies including KEPCO will conduct a demonstration test on the frequency control of a power system using storage batteries. The test will run from December 2, 2019 to January 31, 2020. It will integrate the battery control system “K-LIBRA” with 8 different storage batteries produced separately by each battery manufacturer. “K-LIBRA” was jointly developed by KEPCO and NEC, a major Tokyo-based IT and electronics company.[1]

The demonstration test will examine the battery control system’s ability to remotely control all of the tested batteries with the fast charge-discharge capability. It also validates the performance of the system’s response capabilities for short cycle load fluctuations by analyzing the response time and the control accuracy of batteries in response to the signal emitted from “K-LIBRA.”  Furthermore, the demonstration test evaluates the effectiveness of the system’s additional functions to maximize the frequency control capabilities. Based on the test results, KEPCO aims to commercialize the battery control system in fiscal year (FY) 2020.

In early 2019, KEPCO, ELIIY Power (a Tokyo-based company that develops high capacity batteries[2]), and Sansha Electric Manufacturing Co. (an Osaka-based company machinery manufacturer[3]) completed a preliminary demonstration test to collectively and remotely control the charge-discharge performance for a total of 10,000 storage batteries in response to short cycle frequency fluctuations in the power system.[4]

The project is funded by the Agency for Natural Resources under Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), through its FY2018 Demonstration Project on Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Utilizing Demand Side Energy Resources.[5]

[1] https://jpn.nec.com/profile/corp/outline.html

[2] https://www.eliiypower.co.jp/company/index.html

[3]http://www.sansha.co.jp/user_data/company/company.php?transactionid=5642f6fe202e98ff6d6489c915b7eef78fe1a2e8

[4] https://www.kepco.co.jp/souhaiden/pr/2019/0522_1j.html

[5] https://www.kepco.co.jp/souhaiden/pr/2019/1129_1j.html

[Japan] Chubu Electric Power Has Partnered with Novars, a Dry-Cell Battery Manufacturer, to Develop New Senior Monitoring Services

Chubu Electric Power (Chuden), headquartered in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture[1], and Novars[2], a Tokyo-based wireless dry cell battery manufacturer, announced on October 25, 2019 that they have reached an agreement to jointly develop new monitoring services for senior citizens in order to respond to the increasing demand for senior care. Novars develops and commercializes a dry-cell battery integrated with a communication module called “MaBeee[3]”. The device is designed to provide remote monitoring services for seniors and children via a connected network. The two companies aim to ultimately improve users’ safety and security through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT).

 Chubu Electric Power Group Management Vision wants Chuden to “provide innovative services for new communities” through AI and IoT, as well as other advanced technologies, in addition to strengthening its core energy business operations. Subsequently, it has recently established a distinct business segment in April 2019 that emphasizes providing and managing new community services.

 Additionally, Chuden has agreed to invest in Novars by providing some capital through a third-party allotment. Chuden’s investment will be contributed from the Chubu Electric Power Community Support Fund, which supports venture capital funds and startups with advanced technologies or innovative business models related to monitoring services. The fund, a corporate venture capital fund, was established in April 2019 as an internal fund for Chuden[4].

[1] https://www.chuden.co.jp/english/corporate/ecor_company/ecom_outline/index.html

[2] http://novars.jp/

[3] http://novars.main.jp/new_WP/company

[4] https://www.chuden.co.jp/corporate/publicity/pub_release/press/3272005_21432.html

［USA］Nevada PUC floats proposal for 1,000 MW storage target by 2030

The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) submitted a proposal to the Nevada state’s Legislative Counsel Bureau on November 26, 2019.[1] Under the proposal, PUCN would adopt a 1,000 MW statewide energy storage target for utilities by the end of 2030. To achieve this, it is proposed that there would be biennial targets, beginning with 100 MW by the end of 2020 and then ramping up to 400 MW and 800 MW by 2024 and 2028, respectively. Beginning in 2022, utilities in Nevada would be required to file progress updates with the commission. The proposal comes more than two years after SB 204 directed the commission to look into requiring utilities to purchase storage.[2] PUCN has looked into the costs and benefits of storage and commissioned a report on these concerns in 2018 which found that the most cost-effective amount of storage for Nevada’s market conditions in 2030 was in the 700 MW to 1,000 MW range.[3] Most recently, NV Energy, a public utility, proposed on June 24, 2019 to procure 590 MW of energy storage which would put the proposal by the PUCN seven years ahead of schedule.[4]

[1] http://pucweb1.state.nv.us/PDF/AxImages/DOCKETS_2015_THRU_PRESENT/2017-7/43083.pdf

[2] https://legiscan.com/NV/bill/SB204/2017

[3] https://brattlefiles.blob.core.windows.net/files/14618_economic_potential_for_storage_in_nevada_-_final.pdf

[4] http://pucweb1.state.nv.us/PDF/AxImages/DOCKETS_2015_THRU_PRESENT/2019-6/39888.pdf

［USA］SRP to Cut Emissions Through Major Solar + Battery Energy Purchase

On November 14, 2019, Arizona’s Salt River Project (SRP) announced plans for two solar plus storage projects (Sonoran Energy Center and Storey Energy Center) which are expected to come online by June 2023. The following day, November 15, 2019, SRP introduced its new plan to add 1 GW of new utility-scale solar by 2025. The solar plus storage projects will push the utility more than 60% toward this goal. The Sonoran Energy Center will include a 250 MW solar array charging a four-hour battery system capable of storing 1GWh, and will be the largest solar-charged battery project in the state. The Storey Energy Center will be an 88 MW solar and energy storage system. Both projects will be owned and operated by subsidiaries of NextEra Energy Resources. The projects will help serve the utility’s peak load as SRP retires coal-fired resources.

References：https://media.srpnet.com/srp-to-cut-emissions-through-major-solar--battery-energy-purchase/
　　　　　 https://media.srpnet.com/srp-plans-new-solar-energy

[Japan] TEPCO Power Grid Partnership with NExT-e Solutions to Study Battery Storage Lifecycle Management

On July 17, 2019, TEPCO Power Grid announced a partnership with NExT-e Solutions, a Japanese energy battery management system company,[1] to study battery storage lifecycle management. Battery storage, such as the lithium-ion batteries used in vehicles, can be re-used to adjust the electricity supply and demand, and to balance frequency fluctuations. Currently, it is difficult to evaluate the battery storage’s performance after the first use, and there are not yet any methods to better maximize the use of battery storage.

 In this study, TEPCO Power Grid aims to build a battery storage lifecycle management platform to maximize the value of used battery storage and promote the re-use of battery storage. TEPCO Power Grid will leverage its knowledge of electricity supply and demand and the operation of battery storage as a part of the study. NExT-e Solutions will be responsible for the developing battery storage control technology and managing the Internet of Things (IoT) technology to collect, manage, and analyze the battery storage data.[2] 

[1] https://www.nextes.jp/service/?id=naiyo

[2] http://www.tepco.co.jp/pg/company/press-information/press/2019/1515883_8614.html