(Invited) An Industrial Perspective on Electrochemistry and the Energy Transition

Abstract

As wind and solar become an increasingly larger share of primary energy, the use of electrochemical storage and conversions is growing. Traditionally, carbon-based fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas have been globally traded and served as energy storage media for the power and transportation sectors. With the growth of lower-carbon energy technologies, particularly wind and solar power, effective use of renewable electrons requires high-performing, cost-effective solutions for storage and distribution services that are analogous to traditional fuels. Electrochemical energy storage technologies are increasingly used for a range of applications from kW to GW scales, with this deployment momentum built from improved performance and declining costs.This talk will address where multiple types of storage exist in the historical & current energy system, their scales, and the roles of storage in the emerging energy transition from the perspective of an international energy company. Our energy storage and conversion research & development over the past decade will also be discussed, with a focus on current and emerging electrochemical systems designed for use in mobility, the power sector, and industry. Systems of active research include metal anodes used with high voltage cathodes and high energy density stationary batteries. This work has been driven by business challenges, with a range of modeling approaches used to generate insights that complement theory & experiment. Techniques include large-scale energy system modeling, modeling of power market operations, technoeconomic analyses to guide cost & performance targets of new technologies, and new ways to capture and predict physical phenomena that underpin device life and performance. Finally, commercial operation examples of energy storage operation will be provided, along with challenges still to be resolved through improved system understanding across scales.