
IBM Changes the Energy Storage Game with Cobalt-Free Battery - elorant
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/12/18/ibm-changes-the-energy-storage-game-with-cobalt-free-battery/
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ryanmercer
It feels like every 3-6 months we get "Company changes energy storage game
with fancy new battery!" and then.... nothing. You never hear about it again.
Presumably because they just aren't economically feasible, scalable and/or
safe for most applications.

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Recurecur
Improved batteries are a huge deal, so naturally there's a lot of coverage and
interest.

Out of the large number of candidates, some will be successful. IBM is
certainly a reputable R&D company, so this announcement has more substance
than most.

I'm also optimistic about the new Goodenough battery design, with its non-
flammable solid electrolyte and a version replacing lithium with sodium.

One thing that did occur to me while reading this article is that if a "five
minute 80% charge" is possible, for a 70 KWH battery pack that would involve a
672 KW rate, not accounting for losses. That's a whole lot of power!

A 1 GW powerplant could support charging less than 1500 cars simultaneously at
that rate...

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ryanmercer
If these became a viable commercial product, I imagine power companies would
be some of the customers then. Installing them at substations and the like to
help smooth out demand peaks and valleys.

