'Superbattery' from Belgium combines both worlds of tech

The Belgian company For-E has developed an innovative hybrid supercapacitor that merges the technologies of batteries and supercapacitors. This breakthrough results in a new type of energy storage system capable of efficiently storing and discharging large amounts of green energy. The hybrid supercapacitor combines the high energy density of batteries with the rapid charge and discharge capabilities of supercapacitors, offering a sustainable and safe solution for energy storage.

However, despite its battery-like capabilities, For-E's creation is officially not classified as a battery. This distinction lies in the unique technology behind its design, which allows it to store and release energy in a way that differs from conventional batteries, offering faster charge times and longer lifecycles. This new energy storage system could play a pivotal role in advancing the transition to renewable energy by providing more efficient and reliable storage solutions for green energy.

Batteries are indispensable in the Energy Transition

Batteries play a crucial role in the transition from fossil fuels to green energy by enabling the storage of excess renewable electricity. This stored energy can be used during periods when renewable sources like wind or solar are not available, such as during "Dunkelflaute" — the term used to describe windless and dark days. Additionally, batteries help stabilize the electricity grid by absorbing production fluctuations, smoothing out peaks and troughs in green energy generation.

Currently, lithium-ion batteries dominate the market, accounting for 99.9% of all batteries in use, according to the first Smart Storage Trend Report. However, this widely used technology has several significant drawbacks. Lithium-ion batteries pose fire risks, and the extraction of lithium is harmful to the environment. Moreover, critical battery components such as lithium, cobalt, manganese, and copper are often sourced from countries with poor human rights records and weak environmental protections. In addition, these batteries have a relatively short lifespan, raising concerns about long-term sustainability.

As the demand for energy storage grows, it's clear that new and more sustainable battery technologies are needed to address these challenges and ensure a cleaner, safer energy future.

Supercapacitors

As the demand for more sustainable and efficient energy storage solutions increases, companies are exploring alternatives to traditional lithium-ion batteries. Technologies such as salt batteries, flow batteries, and solid-state batteries are already being developed to meet these needs. Among these alternatives, supercapacitors are gaining attention due to their unique advantages over conventional batteries.

Supercapacitors are capable of storing large amounts of electricity for extended periods, and they can charge and discharge incredibly quickly. This fast response time makes them ideal for applications that require bursts of high energy in a short period. For instance, in industries like mining, supercapacitors are used to power cranes that lift heavy loads or trucks that need to climb steep inclines quickly.

Additionally, supercapacitors are built from relatively simple and harmless materials that are widely available, making them an environmentally friendly option. Unlike traditional batteries, they do not rely on rare or toxic materials like lithium, cobalt, or manganese, which can pose environmental and ethical challenges.

No constant Voltage

While supercapacitors offer fast charging and discharging capabilities, this feature also presents a limitation in the context of the energy transition. Unlike batteries, which deliver a stable, constant voltage, supercapacitors experience fluctuations in voltage during charge and discharge cycles. This variability makes them unsuitable for certain applications, such as storing green energy from solar panels or wind turbines.

In these systems, the associated converters that manage the flow of electricity rely on a stable voltage to function properly. If the voltage fluctuates too much, the converters would immediately shut off, disrupting the energy storage process. Additionally, the fluctuating voltage makes supercapacitors impractical for maintaining balance on the electricity grid, where stable voltage is crucial for reliable operation.

Techniques combined

Until recently, supercapacitors faced the challenge of voltage fluctuations, making them unsuitable for long-term energy storage in renewable energy systems. However, Belgian company For-E has developed an innovative solution to this problem by creating a hybrid supercapacitor that combines the best features of both supercapacitors and batteries.

This hybrid technology stabilizes the voltage, ensuring it remains constant and reliable, much like a battery. This breakthrough makes the hybrid supercapacitor capable of functioning effectively in energy storage systems, where inverters require a stable voltage to operate smoothly. By combining the rapid charging and discharging capabilities of supercapacitors with the consistent energy delivery of batteries, For-E's hybrid supercapacitor is positioned as a promising solution for more efficient and reliable green energy storage.

Lithium on the anode

For-E has addressed the challenge of voltage instability in supercapacitors by adapting the technology to create a hybrid supercapacitor. This new design integrates two electrodes—one positive and one negative—separated by a charge, and operates based on an electrostatic process, rather than the chemical processes found in traditional batteries. Unlike conventional supercapacitors, which store energy through rapid charge and discharge cycles, For-E's innovation uses graphene cells, a material that allows for more energy storage.

To stabilize the voltage, the anode of the graphene cell is treated with a small percentage—10 to 12 percent—of lithium. This lithium doesn’t react with metals like in a traditional battery but serves a purely stabilizing function. The result is a hybrid supercapacitor that offers the benefits of both technologies.

In addition, For-E has developed a specialized hybrid battery management system (BMS), combining elements from both battery and supercapacitor management systems to optimize performance. Test results for the hybrid supercapacitor have been promising: after 32,000 charging cycles at full load and high-speed charging, the battery still retains 80% of its original capacity. This is a significant improvement over traditional batteries, which typically last only 5,000 to 8,000 cycles. The result is a much longer lifespan and more efficient energy storage for renewable applications.

Modular system

The hybrid supercapacitor system developed by For-E is highly modular, offering flexible scalability to meet varying energy storage needs. The "superbattery" can be configured with capacities ranging from 6 to 60 kilowatt hours, 30 to 250 kilowatt hours, and even up to 100 to 500 kilowatt hours, depending on the application. This modular design allows For-E to tailor energy storage solutions to a wide range of customers, from residential to large-scale industrial users.

The system also features an advanced Battery Management System (BMS) that enables rapid charging and discharging. For-E’s technology allows the charging and discharging rates to be up to 20 times faster than those of traditional lithium-ion batteries. This makes it possible for a relatively small 100 kilowatt hour hybrid supercapacitor to deliver the same power output as a much larger 1 megawatt hour lithium-ion battery.

For-E’s energy storage systems can also be delivered in containerized formats, with capacities starting at 1 megawatt hour per container. In fact, each container can be designed to house up to 2.6 megawatt hours, providing a compact, scalable, and highly efficient solution for large-scale energy storage needs, such as for industrial or utility applications.

Not yet available everywhere

For-E has successfully delivered hundreds of home batteries utilizing its hybrid supercapacitor technology, primarily in Germany and Belgium. This innovative solution has been widely adopted for residential energy storage, offering homeowners a reliable and long-lasting alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries.

In addition to its residential applications, For-E’s hybrid energy systems are being used in industrial settings. At the Belgian branch of Procter & Gamble, an industrial-scale hybrid system serves as a backup power supply for critical server operations. This system ensures uninterrupted power during outages, providing enhanced energy security for the company’s operations.

For-E has also tailored its technology for mission-critical applications. The company developed a mobile hybrid energy storage system for NATO, designed to be deployed in crisis areas. In these high-risk environments, safety is paramount, and For-E’s system addresses this by eliminating the fire and explosion risks commonly associated with traditional batteries. The modular and versatile nature of the system makes it ideal for use in various locations, providing a dependable energy solution even in the most challenging conditions.

Double fire safety

The hybrid battery developed by For-E is free from harmful substances and rare earth metals, making it an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries. One of the key advantages of this technology is its superior fire safety. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, which carry a risk of spontaneous combustion due to heat buildup, the hybrid supercapacitor poses no such threat. The electrostatic process it uses generates no heat, making self-ignition impossible.

In addition, the graphene material used in the hybrid supercapacitor has a unique property: it can extract oxygen in the event of a fire. This self-extinguishing feature enhances the safety of the system, ensuring that even if a fire occurs nearby, the battery will effectively neutralize the risk. This twofold fire safety system provides peace of mind and makes the hybrid battery a safer and more reliable energy storage solution.

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