The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $125 million in funding for two Energy Innovation Hub teams. These funds aim to provide the scientific foundation necessary to accelerate next-generation technologies beyond today's lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. The multidisciplinary research teams, led by Argonne National Laboratory and Stanford University, will develop key scientific concepts and understanding that will impact the decarbonization of transportation and the integration of clean energy into the electricity grid.

The challenge of emerging applications

Rechargeable batteries, such as Li-ion and lead-acid batteries, have significantly impacted the nation’s economy. However, emerging applications will demand even greater energy storage capabilities, safer operation, lower costs, and a broader range of materials for battery manufacturing. Addressing these challenges requires a deeper understanding of foundational battery and materials sciences, enabling scalable battery designs with versatile and reversible energy storage capabilities beyond current possibilities. Additionally, this research may help mitigate supply chain risks associated with the current generation of batteries.

Energy innovation hubs: teams and focus areas

The two selected teams are the Energy Storage Research Alliance (ESRA), led by Argonne National Laboratory, and the Aqueous Battery Consortium (ABC), led by Stanford University. ESRA will focus on developing new compact batteries for heavy-duty transportation and energy storage solutions for the grid, with an emphasis on achieving unprecedented molecular-level control of chemical reactivity, ion selectivity, and directional transport in complex electrochemical cells. ABC, on the other hand, will establish the scientific foundation for the large-scale development and deployment of aqueous batteries aimed at long-duration grid storage technologies. Both teams will prioritize the study and use of Earth-abundant materials to mitigate supply chain risks.

The Energy Innovation Hub teams consist of multiple institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). These projects present an outstanding opportunity for workforce development in energy storage research and involve individuals from diverse backgrounds and institutions, promoting inclusive and diverse research efforts.

Long-term funding and objectives

The teams were selected through a competitive peer review under the DOE’s Funding Opportunity Announcement for the Energy Innovation Hub Program: Research to Enable Next-Generation Batteries and Energy Storage. Although focused on basic science, the Funding Opportunity Announcement was developed in coordination with the DOE Joint Strategy Team for Batteries.

Total funding amounts to $125 million for awards lasting up to five years. 

Statements from project directors

The directors of the DOE-funded projects emphasize the critical need for advancements in energy storage technology to address key challenges in decarbonization and renewable energy integration. Shirley Meng, ESRA director and chief scientist at the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science, stated: “The demand for high-performance, low-cost, and sustainable energy storage devices is on the rise, especially those with the potential to deeply decarbonize heavy-duty transportation and the electric grid. To achieve this, energy storage technology must reach levels of unprecedented performance, surpassing the capabilities of current lithium-ion technology. The key to making these transformative leaps lies in a robust research and development initiative firmly grounded in basic science.”

Yi Cui, director of the ABC project and professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford, also added: “This project will undertake the grand challenge of electrochemical energy storage in a world dependent on intermittent solar and wind power. We need affordable, grid-scale energy storage that will work dependably for a long time.”