Affordable energy storage is an essential part of making the economy more sustainable

In order to make the transition to a sustainable economy in the Netherlands, different technologies must not only be seen in conjunction to force a breakthrough, but these innovations must also quickly become affordable. Energy storage is an essential piece of the puzzle. This is according to Dr. Mark Bolech, who works at the Circular Economy and Environment unit of research institute TNO. During the Energy Storage event will he a sketch the complete picture in the transition plans and options.

By: Dimitri Reijerman

In the current plans for the energy transition, there is a lot of attention for wind and solar energy, but the puzzle is much more complex in the field of sustainable energy. Energy storage is a must, says Bolech: “If you say: we are going to do everything on sustainable energy, then there will automatically be a need for much more storage. For short-term storage you can think of rechargeable batteries, for the longer term you may need fuel cells. But you can also convert energy into sustainable materials. Where the chemical industry is still largely dependent on petrochemical fossil products, in the future they will be able to make synthetic products based on sustainable energy. All these worlds will come to lie next to and partly on top of each other. Moreover, they will reinforce each other.”

There is still a lot of research being done on the application of fuel cells, says Bolech: “Fuel cells are not yet very much in the picture, with one exception, but they will undoubtedly become more important. And the conversion to sustainable products is also only available in small quantities, but that will also emerge.”

According to the energy expert from TNO, a higher acceleration in the energy transition is also urgently needed: “At the moment you see that green technologies are quickly becoming more affordable. Then it suddenly goes much faster and once you can make money with it, you don't know where to get it from. The electric car is a good example. That is also a transition process. Currently, less than 2 percent of cars have a plug, but the moment you can make or save money with it, it goes very fast. Many companies are investing in electric cars and I estimate that this will also be the case for private individuals in 5 years.”

Bolech continues: “You see something similar happening in energy generation. Solar panels have become so cheap that you already end up with a production price of 2 euro cents per kWh. There is no technology available that comes close to that. It is expected that this will become the dominant technology for energy generation.”

Steering subsidies

With further growth of fluctuating energy sources such as solar and wind energy, the market for energy storage will continue to grow rapidly. Bolech also sees a trend in how subsidies will stimulate energy storage systems: “By placing storage directly next to a solar panel, such as a regular battery or an electric truck, you have a buffer. You can determine yourself when the electricity returns to the grid. In Germany, you already see this happening in a number of federal states: you only receive subsidies for solar panels if you place buffer capacity directly next to them. This buffering also relieves the distribution network.”

Furthermore, buffering offers new business cases: “With this method of buffering, you immediately have a revenue model. You already have parties that earn money by saying: we are going to set up a large buffer at this location, often a sea container full of batteries. And we are going to trade with this stored power in such a way that we earn money with it.”

Although lithium-ion is currently the leading battery technology, Bolech sees a lot of potential in the future in so-called solid state batteries: “These types of batteries are an important development step. Solid state batteries are rechargeable batteries in which there is no longer any liquid electrolyte. Batteries are becoming much more compact, robust and safer. Then you can start thinking about electric flying, for example. Other developments are taking place in the fuel cell. Hydrogen is often considered, but you can also think about metal-air batteries. These have a much higher energy density and other advantages. If these become easily rechargeable, it will actually be possible to fly or sail on the basis of fuel cells.”

Stimulating innovation

With his research at TNO, Bolech hopes to stimulate other companies to participate in further research into energy storage: “At TNO, we demonstrate technological possibilities and try to stimulate innovation. We are a medium-sized organization with 3,000 employees. That sounds very big, but we cover a broad spectrum of subjects. In the field of solar panels and solid state batteries, we conduct in-house research. However, we cannot do everything.”

Finally, Bolech hopes that the recently established investment fund Invest-NL, which wants to invest money in relatively risky sustainable projects and research initiatives, will also help to further stimulate sustainability: “Certainly in the Netherlands, people are quick to say: 'that is a nice innovation and perhaps the future, but who exactly is going to pay for it?' It is not without reason that the Netherlands is lagging behind in the energy transition. Only Malta and Luxembourg are doing worse than the Netherlands; all other EU members are further along. That also shows the political clout in our country. As long as this technology is more expensive, everyone is a bit hesitant to actually take steps. It will help if innovations become cheaper faster and there is money left over at the bottom line.”

Would you like to attend Mark Bolech's lecture? Register for free for the Energy Storage event.