energy-storage

Researchers at CSIRO, the University of Melbourne, and RMIT have built and tested a quantum battery prototype that completed a full charge-store-discharge cycle for the first time, demonstrating a counterintuitive property where charging speed increases with battery size.

Eve Energy, QuantumScape, Changan, and others are moving solid-state batteries from lab curiosity to production reality in 2026, but divergent strategies and persistent cost challenges will determine who leads the next era of energy storage.

The MIT spinout plans to demonstrate a 1 MWh thermal battery in Bedford, Massachusetts this year, using graphite bricks heated to 2,400 degrees Celsius and liquid tin to deliver grid-scale storage at a claimed $25 per kilowatt-hour, a fraction of lithium-ion costs.

Peak Energy and RWE Americas have deployed the first sodium-ion battery system on the MISO grid in Wisconsin, marking a milestone for the cheaper, cobalt-free chemistry in the US.

A 300 MW Form Energy iron-air battery paired with 1.6 GW of wind and solar will power Google's new Pine Island data center, marking the largest energy storage project ever announced by capacity.

CATL and BYD are mass-producing sodium-ion batteries for EVs and grid storage in 2026, driven by soaring lithium prices and abundant raw materials, while the West struggles to keep pace.

A novel covalent organic framework electrolyte solves calcium-ion transport problems that have stalled the technology for decades, opening a path to cheaper, more abundant battery chemistry.