Breakthroughs in lithium-ion battery technology are being registered almost daily. “I can’t keep up with it all,” Jerry Barker says. Gigafactories for making lithium-ion batteries are appearing with increasing frequency. It would take something extraordinary to knock Li-ion battery technology off its perch.
And yet lithium has a fundamental problem. Demand for the element is so great for applications including electric vehicles, portable electronic devices, and stationary energy units that lithium mining companies are struggling to keep up. “The price of lithium will stay high,” says Michael Sanders, senior adviser at the consulting firm Avicenne Energy, speaking at the International Battery Seminar & Exhibit in March. In addition, about 90% of the world’s supply of lithium is controlled by Chinese companies.
As a result, batteries based on sodium are gaining attention, especially from Western companies seeking a secure supply chain for battery materials.
DG Innovate plc (LON:DGI) is an advanced research and development company pioneering sustainable and environmentally considerate improvements to electric mobility and storage, using abundant materials and the best engineering and scientific practices. DGI is currently developing its products alongside a number of major manufacturers across the transportation and energy sectors, research institutions and the UK Government and has filed 18 patents worldwide.
