673886040@qq.com
Accelerate the exploration of new battery technology routes
From mobile phones, computers, wearable devices, to new energy vehicles, electric bicycles, lithium batteries are widely used. At the same time as the market demand is increasingly strong, lithium batteries themselves also have shortcomings such as high production costs and low reserves of key raw materials, forcing some companies to speed up the search for alternative technical solutions and turn their attention to new types of batteries such as magnesium, zinc, and sodium. Some media pointed out that the global competition around lithium battery alternatives has begun.
Due to the advantages of high energy density, high output power, and long cycle life, lithium batteries have become the mainstream of today's battery industry. It should also be noted that lithium batteries are resource-sensitive products, and their key raw materials, such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium, are highly concentrated and have the characteristics of resource monopoly, which is prone to external dependence on resources. Autonomous and controllable is the premise of development. It is necessary to speed up the exploration of alternative technical routes and make good first moves.
Based on various considerations, new batteries such as magnesium, zinc, and sodium are expected to become alternatives or important supplements to lithium batteries in the future. Studies have found that the theoretical volumetric energy density of magnesium ions is almost twice that of lithium, which may provide high energy density for batteries. Zinc batteries have attracted attention due to their high safety. Zinc batteries use aqueous solutions as electrolytes instead of traditional organic solvents, thereby greatly reducing the risk of battery fire. Although sodium batteries are not comparable to lithium batteries in terms of energy density, they have cost advantages. Since most of the equipment for manufacturing sodium batteries and lithium batteries is similar, it is easier for existing lithium battery companies to switch to manufacturing sodium batteries, thereby greatly reducing production costs. .
Although the new type of battery is sought after, it is still far from the real industrialization. Judging from the current development situation, whether it is magnesium battery, zinc battery or sodium battery, there are still many problems to be solved in terms of technology and materials. Taking magnesium batteries as an example, the activity of the element itself is low, and the development of highly compatible electrolytes is difficult, which makes it difficult to obtain better electrochemical performance. Therefore, while accelerating the layout of various alternative technical solutions, it is imperative to dig deeper into the performance of lithium batteries and improve product quality.
Behind the boom of new batteries is the rapid expansion of two emerging markets, new energy vehicles and energy storage industries. In recent years, my country's new energy vehicles have maintained rapid growth. The market penetration rate will exceed 13% in 2021. It is expected that by 2035, the sales volume of new energy vehicles will exceed 60%. On the other hand, in the context of promoting the realization of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, the proportion of renewable energy represented by wind power and photovoltaics in the energy structure will continue to increase. By the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan", my country's renewable energy power generation installed capacity will account for more than 50% of the total installed power capacity. It is necessary to vigorously develop the energy storage industry for peak regulation and frequency regulation of power grid operation, which will become a driving force for the consumption of new energy storage batteries to rise. the other pole.
Today, sustainable development has increasingly become a consensus, and research on lithium batteries and their alternative technologies is in full swing in developed countries. Challenges are also opportunities. China has the advantage of improving the industrial chain of lithium batteries and the first-mover advantage formed by new energy vehicles on a global scale, which is gradually converging into a huge potential for industrial development. Only by improving the strategic positioning of the industry, strengthening policy support, innovation-driven, and global layout, can the competitive advantage be truly transformed into the leading strength.
