Zero Carbon Technology | Top 10 Development Trends Of Energy Storage Technology In 2025
Zero Carbon Technology | Top 10 Development Trends Of Energy Storage Technology In 2025
With the deepening of the "dual carbon" target, China's installed capacity of new energy generation maintains a rapid growth rate, and the demand for new energy storage and other regulating resources in the power system is rapidly increasing. The "Analysis Report on the Development of New Energy Storage 2024" recently released by the New Energy Research Institute of State Grid Energy Research Institute shows that the scale of new energy storage in China continues to steadily grow, and the utilization level of new energy storage power stations is gradually improving, effectively supporting the consumption of new energy and power supply guarantee.
Data shows that as of the end of September 2024, 58.52 million kilowatts/128 million kilowatt hours of new energy storage have been built and put into operation nationwide, an increase of about 86% compared to the end of 2023. From January to August 2024, the cumulative charging and discharging capacity of new energy storage in China is about 26 billion kilowatt hours, with an equivalent utilization hours of about 620 hours. During the peak summer season from June to August 2024, the cumulative charging and discharging capacity of new energy storage in China will be 11.8 billion kilowatt hours, accounting for about 45% of the charging and discharging capacity from January to August, effectively supporting the stable operation and reliable supply of the power system. In July, the actual adjustable maximum power of the new energy storage in the State Grid operating zone was 30.15 million kilowatts, accounting for 92% of the scale of grid connected new energy storage at that time.
Regarding how to promote the participation of new energy storage in power supply guarantee, the report believes that new energy storage can play a role in power peak, safety support, backup guarantee, and other aspects. Suggest coordinating various regulatory resources, optimizing scheduling and operation mechanisms and market mechanisms, strengthening grid connected operation management, and promoting the participation of new energy storage in power supply guarantee.
Technological innovation drives the diversified development trend of new energy storage. The report suggests that the mainstream of lithium-ion battery energy storage cells is 280Ah, and they are moving towards larger capacity, longer lifespan, and higher safety. The system integration scale has exceeded the gigawatt hour level; The energy storage of all vanadium flow batteries is in the pilot demonstration stage of 100 megawatt level, and the stack and core key materials are independently controllable; Compressed air energy storage is in the transition stage from demonstration construction to marketization. The first 300 megawatt advanced compressed air energy storage expansion machine has been launched, reducing system costs by 20% to 30% and increasing efficiency by 3% to 5%; Flywheel energy storage has made progress in array integrated design, and a single station 30 MW demonstration project for grid side frequency regulation applications has been officially put into operation; Sodium ion battery energy storage is currently in the experimental pilot stage, and through independent innovation, sodium ion battery technology has been applied for the first time to 100 megawatt level high-capacity energy storage power plants.
From a global perspective, there are ten major development trends in energy storage technology by 2025:
1. Advanced lithium-ion batteries
2. Alternative solutions for lithium batteries
3. Short term response energy storage device
4. Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
5. Advanced Thermal Energy Storage (TES)
6. Enhanced Redox Flow Battery (RFB)
7. Distributed storage system
8. Solid state batteries
9. Hydrogen storage
10. Energy storage as a service
一、 Advanced Lithium-ion Batteries
Lithium ion batteries have advantages such as portability, fast charging speed, low maintenance costs, and wide applicability. However, they are highly flammable, sensitive to high temperatures, require overcharge or complete discharge protection, and will age over time. In addition, the mining of components required for battery manufacturing has a significant impact on the environment.
Therefore, startups are improving lithium-ion batteries to enhance their performance and lifespan. To achieve this goal, lighter and higher energy density materials such as lithium polymers, lithium air, lithium titanate, and lithium sulfur are replacing traditional lithium cobalt electrodes. In addition, some startups are recycling used batteries to promote the development of a circular economy.
Green Li ion Promotes Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling
Green Li ion is a Singaporean startup dedicated to recycling lithium-ion batteries to produce positive electrode materials for batteries. The company adopts a modular processing plant and uses co precipitation wet metallurgy technology instead of leaching reagents in traditional processes. This improves the purity of the positive electrode material while shortening the production time. Battery manufacturers can utilize this solution to recycle batteries without the need for classification
Echion Technologies Produces Negative Electrode Materials For Lithium-Ion Batteries
Echion Technologies, a UK based startup, produces lithium-ion battery negative electrode materials for ultra fast charging. The negative electrode material of the company adopts proprietary mixed niobium oxide (XNO) technology, including the design of microcrystals containing dispersed lithium ions. This enables fast charging without the need for nanoscale powders. Due to their high energy density, these negative electrode materials have applications ranging from consumer electronics to the electric vehicle industry.
二、Alternative Solutions For Lithium Batteries
Lithium ion batteries are not environmentally friendly enough and difficult to meet the growing demand for lithium. These limitations prompt companies to seek alternative battery materials to provide impetus for the next generation of energy storage technologies. For example, zinc air batteries are a feasible alternative due to the abundant supply, stable properties, and low toxicity of zinc.
Another efficient alternative is sodium sulfur batteries. These batteries have a longer lifespan, more charge and discharge cycles, high energy density, and are made of relatively inexpensive materials. Other promising battery chemistry systems include aluminum ion batteries, magnesium ion batteries, nickel zinc batteries, and silicon-based batteries.
Offgrid Energy Labs Develops Zinc Based Battery Technology
Indian startup Offgrid Energy Labs has developed ZincGel, a proprietary battery technology. It uses a highly conductive zinc electrolyte and a carbon based positive electrode. Zinc electrolytes have the characteristics of self-healing, temperature stability, and resistance to evaporation, ensuring a longer service life. In addition, due to the lack of side reactions and gas evolution, high Coulombic efficiency and round-trip efficiency are ensured. Two wheeled electric vehicle manufacturers utilize this technology as a safe, environmentally friendly, non flammable, and sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
Altris Produces Positive Electrode Materials For Sodium Batteries
Altris is a Swedish startup that produces Fennac, a positive electrode material for sodium ion batteries. The company uses patented low-temperature and low-pressure synthesis technology to produce it. It provides a low-cost, sustainable alternative to other electrode materials such as alloys and hard carbon, without sacrificing performance. The battery production company has applied this solution to existing production lines and found its use in applications such as photochromic windows.
三、Short Term Response Energy Storage Equipment
Supercapacitors, flywheels, and superconducting magnetic energy storage devices have been around for a long time. The current battery technology utilizes its potential to provide high power density in a relatively short period of time. Although they discharge rapidly, they can improve the quality and reliability of the power grid during transient periods such as system disturbances, load changes, and line switching.
They can also prevent power grid collapse caused by unstable voltage. In addition, several startups are integrating short-term responsive energy storage devices (SDES) into fuel cell applications to improve the charging and discharging cycles of electric vehicles. Many cities also combine their energy storage systems with short-term responsive energy storage devices, and have noticed improvements in overall energy storage and charging cycles.
Eexion Produces Supercapacitors
Israeli startup EEXION utilizes supercapacitors for energy storage. The company's proprietary product Energize-N '- Go is a chemically treated battery that uses pure carbon materials to achieve faster charging speeds than rechargeable batteries. Its recyclability and almost infinite number of charge and discharge cycles make it highly suitable for electric travel applications.
GODI produces hybrid capacitors
GODI is an Indian startup that produces hybrid capacitor materials derived from biological waste. The company's capacitors combine activated carbon and graphene to provide the short-term peak power required for fast charging. This solution extends from battery to module level and has applications in fields such as automotive, renewable energy, and regenerative braking.
四、Battery Energy Storage System
Although renewable energy technologies are more efficient and cost-effective than ever before, they are inherently highly intermittent. Therefore, they require complementary solutions to fill the supply gap. Long term energy storage solutions ensure that renewable energy dominates power plant expansion while surpassing traditional energy sources.
With more and more clean energy being connected to the grid, power infrastructure is better adapted to changes in demand. The risk of interruption is also significantly reduced. In addition, large-scale renewable energy storage has improved the overall resilience of the energy system and accelerated the transition to clean energy.
Albion Technologies Intelligent Battery Energy Storage System
Albion Technologies, a UK based startup, provides battery energy storage systems (BESS) for renewable energy providers, developers, and grid operators. The company's product Smart BESS is a containerized system that can extend battery life and provide over 90% of available energy. This solution is flexible and can be deployed almost anywhere, and can be integrated with other units to meet different power and energy needs.
Smart BESS is equipped with all necessary components such as batteries, inverters, HVAC, fire protection, and auxiliary systems. It complies with the G99 standard of the UK National Grid and is capable of storing clean energy from renewable sources, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions and oil consumption.
Genista Energy Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Energy Storage System
Genista Energy is a UK based startup that designs battery energy storage systems based on lithium iron phosphate. It consists of a large container containing multiple battery packs. The company will interconnect multiple such containers to obtain a scalable system that provides electricity to remote areas. Genista Energy provides electricity for industrial and commercial buildings, while offering renewable energy management and alternatives to diesel generators.
五、Advanced Thermal Energy Storage
Whether seasonal or short-term, thermal energy storage is an important and economical way to balance the production of high proportion variable renewable energy electricity. The process of thermal energy storage involves providing heat to the energy storage system for later removal and use. Traditionally, heating companies store hot or cold water in insulated tanks for use when demand increases, in order to manage the peak of district heating and cooling.
However, recent developments have demonstrated the use of new media such as molten salts, eutectic materials, and phase change materials to store thermal energy. The most common application of thermal energy storage is in solar thermal systems. This overcomes the challenge of intermittent renewable energy and enables the use of stored solar energy even at night.
HeatVentors Provides Thermal Energy Storage Based On Phase Change Materials (PCM)
Hungarian startup HeatVentors produces thermal energy storage systems based on phase change materials. The company's product HeatTank utilizes the melting and solidification of phase change materials to store thermal energy. The use of these phase change materials can also save space, energy, and costs by balancing the efficiency of cooling and heating systems. Companies providing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems can utilize this solution to improve stability and peak performance management.
Cowa Thermal Solutions Produces Capsule Thermal Energy Storage Tanks
Cowa Thermal Solutions is a Swiss startup that produces capsule thermal energy storage tanks for thermal energy storage. The company's solution BOOSTER CAPSULES uses natural salt as the raw material. Compared to regular water storage tanks, capsule storage tanks have three times the storage capacity and do not lose capacity or stability. Therefore, the heating tank becomes energy intensive and its dependence on the main power source decreases. The distributed energy industry combined with photovoltaic (PV) systems can utilize this solution to provide continuous heating.
六、Enhanced Redox Flow Battery
Redox flow batteries can be used as fuel cells or rechargeable batteries. They consist of two interconnected storage tanks, each containing electrolyte liquid and electrodes with opposite charges. Ions are transferred from one tank to the other through a membrane. The service life of redox flow batteries is longer than that of lithium batteries because the current flowing from one storage tank to another does not cause membrane degradation.
In addition, due to their flexible system design and ease of scalability, they have great potential for large-scale integration of renewable energy. The development focus of this field is on developing new redox chemical systems that are cost-effective and have higher energy density.
XL Batteries Offers Saltwater Based Flow Batteries
XL Batteries, a start-up company in the United States, offers non corrosive flow batteries based on saltwater. The company uses organic molecules from inexpensive industrial raw materials to store the charge in batteries. Due to the dissolved charge storage molecules flowing through the electrodes in separate stacks during the charging and discharging process, independent size adjustment can be achieved. Compared to vanadium flow batteries, this chemical system based on mild saltwater also makes the battery cheaper. The utility industry utilizes this technology as a substitute for expensive lithium-ion batteries.
StorEn Technologies Develops Vanadium Flow Battery
StorEn Technologies is an American startup company dedicated to developing vanadium flow battery technology. The characteristics of vanadium allow for the production of batteries containing only one electroactive element, rather than two, thereby eliminating the problem of metal cross contamination. They overcome the problems of lithium battery degradation and capacity loss. StorEn Technologies' batteries are highly suitable for telecom tower batteries that obtain electricity from renewable sources in the power grid and remote areas.
七、Distributed Energy Storage System
Energy production and storage systems have traditionally followed a centralized architecture. This increases the risk of grid failures during periods of high energy demand, which may disrupt the energy supply chain. Distributed energy storage systems address this challenge by allowing individual facilities to produce energy on-site and retain it to meet their own needs.
Energy producers can also sell excess energy to the grid. Distributed energy storage solutions, such as electric vehicles, microgrids, and virtual power plants (VPPs), avoid the expansion of coal, oil, and gas energy production. In addition, they achieve greater reliance on renewable energy by integrating local energy storage solutions such as rooftop solar panels and small wind turbines.
MET3R Promotes Vehicle To Grid (V2G) Management
Belgian startup MET3R assists in vehicle to grid (V2G) management. The company's platforms ZenCharge, ZenSite, and ZenGrid utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize fleet charging and reduce the impact of charging stations on the power grid. In addition, they also provide information on load management related to electric vehicle charging. The energy distribution company utilizes its platform to monitor the status of distributed energy assets (DERs) on low-voltage networks.
Karit Provides Virtual Power Plants
Australian startup Karit offers virtual power plants. The company integrates multiple distributed energy assets, such as power generation and energy storage systems, into a virtual power plant. By integrating distributed energy assets, energy retailers ensure efficient power supply to customers while investing excess energy into the market. Energy retailers and multi site organizations use virtual power plants to achieve predictive energy storage and management.
八、Solid State Battery
Traditional liquid electrolytes are highly flammable and have low charge retention at extreme temperatures, resulting in low operational efficiency. To address these challenges, solid-state batteries have replaced flammable liquid electrolytes with solid compounds that promote ion migration. Currently, startups use electrolytes with high ionic conductivity such as polymers and organic compounds. In addition, solid electrolytes support the use of high-voltage, high-capacity materials in battery manufacturing. This achieves higher energy density, portability, and shelf life. Due to their higher power to weight ratio, solid-state batteries are also an ideal choice for electric vehicles.
Solid State Battery (SSB) Incorporated Polymer Based Solid Electrolyte
SSB Incorporated is an American startup that produces polymer based solid electrolyte materials. The company's solid electrolyte combines polymers and ionic materials to improve ion mobility. Compared with traditional liquid electrolytes, this material has a higher energy density and improved electrochemical and thermal stability. This solid-state separator allows these electrolytes to be encapsulated into lithium batteries and applied to large equipment such as cars or airplanes.
The solid-state crystal sulfur battery
Theion is a German startup developing solid-state crystal sulfur batteries. The company uses direct crystal printing (DCi) technology to develop chips from molten sulfur. Its proprietary solid polymer electrolyte operates in the gaps of these chips, with lithium metal foil serving as the anode.
Compared to traditional batteries, the advantages of this solution include long cycle life, fast charging, low battery cost, and safety. Theion's technology can be used for smartphone and computer batteries, as well as for energy storage systems in cars and airplanes.
九、Hydrogen Storage
Hydrogen has the highest calorific value per unit mass among all chemical fuels, and is also renewable and environmentally friendly. It can be physically stored in the form of gas or liquid. As gas storage, high-pressure tanks are usually required, while as liquid storage, ultra-low temperature environments are required.
In order to economically store hydrogen, startups are designing innovative processes and storage tanks. In terms of storage types, recent trends indicate a shift towards hydrogen adsorption on solid surfaces and storage through chemical reactions. Hydrogen storage has a wide range of applications, from being used as a clean fuel for cars to providing portable power supply for buildings.
GRZ Technologies Solid State Hydrogen Battery
Swiss startup GRZ Technologies produces solid-state hydrogen storage systems. The company stores hydrogen in atomic form in metal structures. This ensures higher safety while providing high volume density and longer service life. Standardized stacking provides ideal storage capacity for the transportation industry to obtain both fixed and portable electricity.
Hydrogen First Composite Hydrogen Pressure Vessel
Hydrogen First is a Polish startup that designs composite wound hydrogen pressure vessels. This flat container has an isostatic shape and is reinforced with ribs on its thickness to store compressed hydrogen. Its design helps reduce the use of carbon fiber, thereby lowering the weight and cost of hydrogen storage. These flat composite containers have applications in the aerospace and automotive industries for storing hydrogen in gaseous, liquid, supercritical, or ultra-low temperature forms.
十、Energy Storage As a Service
Installing energy storage infrastructure involves multiple setup costs, while long-term ownership can lead to capital lock-in and asset idleness. Energy storage as a service enables enterprises to obtain reliable power supply with zero asset investment and low implementation costs. It enables facilities to evaluate the value of energy storage solutions.
This method also provides maximum flexibility when market conditions change. In addition, energy storage as a service helps utility companies manage congestion, seasonal peak demand, and respond to grid infrastructure failures. Moreover, consumers in remote areas with weak or no power grid connections will benefit from the increased flexibility and efficiency of the power grid.
Hybrid Greentech Simplifies Energy Storage Management
Renon India Produces Intelligent Battery Management System (BMS)
Renon India is an Indian startup developing the intelligent battery management system ARK. It passively balances the battery through voltage measurement and temperature sensing. This ensures the functional safety, efficiency, and performance of the battery pack. These ARK systems are suitable for storing solar cells in commercial and industrial applications.
