Extremely important is also the exploitation of aluminum as energy storage and carrier medium directly in primary batteries, which would result in even higher energy efficiencies. In addition, the stored metal could be integrated in district heating and cooling, using, e.g., water–ammonia heat pumps.
Energy storage capacity of aluminium Aluminium has a high storage density. Theoretically, 8.7 kWh of heat and electricity can be produced from 1 kg of Al, which is in the range of heating oil, and on a volumetric base (23.5 MWh/m 3) even surpasses the energy density of heating oil by a factor of two. 4.2. The Power-to-Al process
Rechargeable aluminum ion batteries (AIBs) hold great potential for large-scale energy storage, leveraging the abundant Al reserves on the Earth, its high theoretical capacity, and the favorable redox potential of Al 3+ /Al.
To this regard, this study focuses on the use of aluminum as energy storage and carrier medium, offering high volumetric energy density (23.5 kWh L −1), ease to transport and stock (e.g., as ingots), and is neither toxic nor dangerous when stored. In addition, mature production and recycling technologies exist for aluminum.
Swiss researchers believe it could be the key to affordable seasonal storage of renewable energy, clearing a path for the decarbonization of the energy grid Aluminum has an energy density more than 50 times higher than lithium ion, if you treat it as an energy storage medium in a redox cycle battery.
Further exploration and innovation in this field are essential to broaden the range of suitable materials and unlock the full potential of aqueous aluminum-ion batteries for practical applications in energy storage. 4.