How organic flow batteries could erase the need for critical-mineral dependency

Vanadium flow and lithium-ion batteries both require materials described as critical by the US Department of Energy (DOE).

From ESS News

Renewable energy resources are taking on a leading role in global energy production due to their affordability, sustainability, and availability. However, many clean technologies require critical minerals, such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements. This presents a challenge to scaling up production and deployment, particularly in countries like the United States, where these materials are not found naturally or where refining capabilities are not available. What’s more, historically fraught relationships with some countries that produce these materials can complicate the situation further.

There’s a clear gap in the market for domestically-produced renewable energy innovations, particularly within battery energy storage. The global energy storage market is increasing year after year, a clear indicator that the adoption of clean, reliable energy is unstoppable. There’s an opportunity for the United States to stake its place within the burgeoning energy storage manufacturing and development industry by exploring alternative technologies that don’t require critical minerals or materials and instead make use of abundant, domestically available resources.

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