Called the “liquid battery,” this innovative solution offers a promising answer to the intermittent nature of renewable sources like solar and wind power. It paves the way for more sustainable and reliable energy grids, which are currently overwhelmingly reliant on lithium-ion technologies.
Hopefully, this liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) battery will offer storage and smooth out ebb and flow of renewable power production without certain negative side effects. The team described its work in a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
The new system features 700 Ah lithium iron phosphate batteries from AESC, a company in which Envision holds a majority stake. The world’s highest energy density grid-scale battery storage system is housed in a standard 20-foot container.
Is this the key to ending power grid instability? A team of Stanford chemists believe that liquid organic hydrogen carriers can serve as batteries for long-term renewable energy storage. The storage of energy could help smooth the electrical grid and give renewable energy a prominent place without the risk of uneven production.
The team from Stanford believes that LOHCs can one day serve as “liquid batteries”—storing energy and efficiently releasing it as usable fuel or electricity when needed.
The newest generation product boasts an energy density exceeding 440 Wh/l, a roundtrip efficiency of 96 percent, and a lifespan of nearly 16,000 charge-discharge cycles. This liquid-cooled system operates within a 1500 V to 2000 V voltage range and offers configurable storage durations ranging from two to eight hours.