Published 02/12/2018

New consortium studies energy storage

Senior Technical Editor Emeritus

With a kick-off on January 30, 2018, AZL Aachen GmbH (Aachen, Germany), in cooperation with 19 participating companies as well as RWTH Aachen University and RWTH spinoff company CONBILITY GmbH (Aachen, Germany), has launched an international market and technology study. Over the next 8 months, a team of experts will work out a detailed insight into the technologies of diverse energy storage systems. Together with the consortium, the technology experts will analyze established and emerging storage systems, in particular with regard to the materials used and the production technologies for the production of key components. The study results are especially relevant for suppliers of materials, processing technologies and machinery and equipment. Companies wishing to evaluate the potential of their products and production technologies as well as their know-how in the field of energy storage systems are invited to participate in the study.

The kick-off meeting on January 30, 2018 opened the first phase of the study, which focuses on detailed market segmentation, including the identification of market requirements and potentials as well as existing and future technologies and their respective readiness levels. In addition to energy storage in the transport sector, the study will examine storage systems and technologies in other market segments including thermal, electrochemical, mechanical and electrical storage systems. At the kick-off meeting, participants were given a first market overview including exemplary market segments and possible storage technologies. The study structure was presented on the basis of the two example technologies and applications of lithium-ion batteries in the automotive sector and power-to-gas technologies. In a workshop, the participating companies raised unanswered questions and provided initial impulses for focusing the study analyses by voting on relevant market segments.

Says Peter Adriaansen, business director for carbon black at Imerys Graphite and Carbon (Bodio, Switzerland), “We see a booming energy storage systems market for the next several years – and that includes not only storage systems in electric vehicles, but also consumer electronics and stationary storage systems. From our point of view, this growth is currently underestimated by the market and we encourage companies in the supply chain to make the necessary investments to develop facilitating technologies, install raw material capacities and form alliances to support this growth.”

According to Thomas Wegman, marketing manager at Aliancys (Schaffhausen, Switzerland), “As the market will grow significantly in the next few years, we see many applications and parts where we can use our resin systems. Composites score highly in both stationary and mobile storage systems due to their durability, chemical resistance and lightweight potential. We want to learn more about the market and where we can develop new applications for composites. Tackling this in the study together with other companies and their specific interests and insights is a good opportunity for us."

The study is designed as a joint consortium study. Participants meet with company representatives from different industries and market segments as well as external experts in various project meetings and workshops. Study participants thus become a direct part of the study and can influence progress according to their specific requirements.

The study started with the kick-off on January 30, 2018 and has a duration of eight months. Interested companies can still join the consortium. Information about the procedure, the results and the possibilities for participation can be found under this link: http://azl-aachen-gmbh.de/energy-storage-systems-study-brochure