Material change – 03-2024

Sodium-ion batteries are undergoing a critical period of commercialization as established battery manufacturers jostle for position. With a global ramp-up of cell manufacturing capacity underway, we look at the progress being made on this promising technology, where much will depend on the balance of supply and demand.
Across several African countries, the scale of solar projects is changing and there is evidence of a nascent grid-scale battery industry taking shape on the continent. Businesses frustrated by unreliable state-run grids have invested in commercial solar after an initial wave of largely donor-funded grid-scale installations. Will the same hold true for energy storage?
Elsewhere, we explore the development and trends that are shaping Spain’s distributed storage market, examine the most promising technological advances for lithium-ion batteries, report on the ramping up of storage activity among Chinese PV manufacturers, and ask what’s next for battery materials.