Battery breakthrough could supercharge renewable energy transition

‘I wanted to invent something that was better, much better, than lithium-ion batteries,’ says lead researcher

Researchers have invented a new type of battery that is six times cheaper than conventional lithium-ion batteries, which they say could massively speed up the transition to renewable energy sources.

Lithium-ion batteries are currently used in everything from smartphones to electric cars, however the cost of producing them makes them unsuitable for large-scale backup systems for wind and solar power installations.

With a growing need for such systems to store and provide power when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing, an international team of researchers set about creating a low-cost battery made from inexpensive and abundant materials.