Blog of Fraunhofer ISI

The articles in the Fraunhofer ISI blog provide insights into the research topics of the institute. Whether interim reports from current projects, interviews with scientists or statements on current debates: The articles cover the broad spectrum of Fraunhofer ISI and will appear depending on the topic.

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  • Spot market price development for Co, Li2CO3 and LiOH as well as number of publicly announced supply contract conclusions.
    © Fraunhofer ISI

    Prices for key battery raw materials have been subject to enormous fluctuations over the past two years, putting an end, at least temporarily, to the trend of falling battery cell costs. In its Battery Update, Fraunhofer ISI points out which role the design of supply contracts plays in pricing and how the changes in raw material prices affect the costs of different lithium-ion battery technologies.

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  • How much green hydrogen will Europe’s industry need in 2050?

    von Christoph Peters / August 09, 2023

    A new study by Fraunhofer ISI for the EU Commission has examined the impacts of the industry transition on the European energy system in different scenarios. The study shows that Europe’s industry in 2050 will need substantial amounts of green hydrogen and a corresponding transport infrastructure, even with strong electrification of process heat. In the interview, the study’s author, Dr. Tobias Fleiter, explains the results and reveals where the green hydrogen for our industry could come from in the future.

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  • Global battery production with LFP and NMC/NCA cathode material between 2022 and 2030
    © Fraunhofer ISI

    The cathode is a central component of a lithium-ion battery cell and significantly influences its cost, energy density, i.e. relative storage capacity, and safety. Two materials currently dominate the choice of cathode active materials for lithium-ion batteries: lithium iron phosphate (LFP), which is relatively inexpensive, and nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) or nickel-cobalt-alumina (NCA), which are convincing on the market due to their higher energy density, i.e. their ability to store electrical energy. Our analysis shows where in the world how much of which cathode material will be used in battery production and by when.

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  • Open-source database for lithium-ion batteries released

    by Steffen Link / March 07, 2023

    The "BetterBat" research project has released an open-source database of over 300 lithium-ion battery cells from various manufacturers, with continuous updates. It allows industry and research institutions to benchmark battery cells and determine their suitability for various applications.

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  • Anteile der weltweiten Produktion von Anoden, Kathoden, Elektrolyt und Separatoren
    © Fraunhofer ISI

    It is well known that a large part of battery cell production takes place in Asia, more precisely in China, Korea and Japan. However, it is often overlooked that this market dominance is even more pronounced in the prefabricated production steps of battery manufacturing. More than 90 percent of the main starting materials of a battery cell (i.e. anode, cathode, separator and electrolyte) come from these three countries.

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  • Quantity scenarios of lithium-ion batteries for recycling and their origin / 2023

    Recycling of lithium-ion batteries will increase strongly in Europe

    by Dr. Thomas Schmaltz / January 19, 2023

    © Fraunhofer ISI

    Currently, about 50 kilotons of spent batteries are recycled annually in Europe. The quantity of batteries to be recycled will increase continuously in the coming years - and the origin of these batteries will also change.

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