German firm tests powerful NASA battery that offers 30,000 cycles, 30-year life
Nickel-hydrogen batteries last 30,000 cycles (up to 30 years), retaining 86 percent capacity after extensive use.
RWE, a German energy company, is testing advanced battery technology originally developed by NASA for the International Space Station.
The innovative energy storage solution is being integrated into the company’s wind and solar projects.
RWE plans to test nickel-hydrogen batteries in a renewable energy pilot project at its Milwaukee, Wisconsin, testing facility in the US.
The batteries, named Energy Storage Vessels (ESVs), capable of over 30,000 cycles, are supplied by EnerVenue, a company leading the commercial use of high-efficiency metal-hydrogen technology.
Nickel-hydrogen innovation
Energy storage technologies are urgently needed as the globe undergoes a significant shift to renewable energy sources. Our greatest option to until has been lithium-ion batteries, but creating large-scale storage solutions is becoming more and more costly and time-consuming.
Li-ion batteries are vulnerable to thermal runaway, and in order to avoid a serious accident, big energy storage solutions require extra cooling, ventilation, and fire suppression facilities. Batteries built on nickel and hydrogen may be useful in this situation.