US grid-scale battery start-up looks to Australia for R&D, manufacturing

Liquid Metal Battery – notice the refractory lining – this thing runs very hot (~475°C+)
Credit: The National Law Review

In January 2015, I posted about a lecture on grid scale storage using the liquid metal battery (LMB) technology developed by a team led by Professor Donald Sadoway at MIT.

Professor Sadoway had many important insights, on chemistry, materials abundance, price, scalability, & other matters. Worth reviewing at the link above – as you will see in the included video, this man is a fabulous public speaker.

Since that time, I have quoted his insights a few times, but the batteries didn’t make any headlines, & it started to look like this one was going to sink without trace, as so many have done.

But that concern may have been premature – the technology, & the company, Ambri, are still making progress. With $50 million in equity capital, the first grid-scale LMB prototype, probably 100kWh, is expected to be built in, “about a year’s time.”

Renew Economy:
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2016/us-grid-scale-battery-start-looks-australia-rd-manufacturing-89966

Much is made of the durability of Ambri batteries. Many different cell types have been tried, but something common to all LMBs is:

“We regenerate the battery every time. The battery actually gets better with use, ’cause it purifies.” – just after the 10 minute mark in the video linked at the top.

“This is not like your cell phone battery.”

And the name Ambri? – named after CAmbridge – that’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Professor Sadoway began his research, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). / US grid-scale battery start-up looks to Australia for R&D manufacturing US company promising grid-scale energy storage technology liquid metal batteries collaborative research base Australia manufacturing hub test technology at scale company Liquid Metal Batteries technology now called Ambri spun out of the research Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Donald Sadoway developed liquid metal chemistry team MIT Ambri raised $50 million equity Khosla Ventures Bill Gates oil company Total Swiss insurance company Building Insurance Bern GVB KLP Enterprises family office Karen Pritzker heir Hyatt hotel chain industrial conglomerate Marmon batteries comprise three self-segregating layers low density liquid metal on top high density metal bottom middle molten salt yet to be tested at a utility-scale tested extensively cell multiple-cell level highly conductive fast-responding long lasting very little capacity fade over time advantage other popular battery chemistries grid applications hero cell MIT Sadoway two years more than 1400 cycles with zero capacity fade upper metal lower metal batteries electrodes salt electrolytes battery respond very quickly deliver surges take surges from the grid plans establish collaborative R&D base University of Newcastle ARENA addition of a team in Newcastle enhance MIT’s achievements plenty of room for further innovation invention of a battery invention of a battery field Sadoway many different metals so many different salts team enhance potential manufacturing hub in Australia batteries competitive three years cater Australian and New Zealand markets grid-scale battery storage frightfully heavy don’t want to be shipping them long distances highly competitive stationary battery storage industry LMB chemistry forming company commercialise technology tested grid scale really tough game development first grid-scale LMB prototype probably 100kWh expected to be built about a year’s time tested US army base /