DOE Awards $15M to Launch Innovations for Long Duration Energy Storage Earthshot

The U.S. Department of Energy Announces $15 Million in Awards for Long Duration Energy Storage

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) has announced the selectees of $15 million in awards at the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Council Summit on April 8, 2024. These awards are part of the Storage Innovations 2030: Technology Liftoff funding opportunity announcement (FOA), which aims to advance energy storage innovations to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by delivering clean, affordable electricity to Americans when and where it is needed most.

Advancing Energy Storage Innovations for a Sustainable Future

The DOE’s Office of Electricity has selected three organizations for their innovative ideas to tackle key R&D barriers in the domestic energy storage industry. These entities have been awarded up to $5 million each for projects that bring together technology stakeholders and research institutions to solve one or more pre-competitive R&D technical challenges. The projects must enable a long-duration capable (10+ hours) energy storage technology with a pathway to achieving a Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS) of $0.05/kWh by 2030, aligning with the goal of the Long Duration Storage Shot.

Building a Sustainable Grid with Long-Duration Energy Storage

Long-duration grid-scale energy storage plays a crucial role in building the electric grid that will power our clean-energy economy and help accomplish President Biden’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The selected projects focus on advancing zinc, lead, and flow battery technologies, building on the domestic production incentives for energy storage provided by the Inflation Reduction Act. These projects aim to create a diversified and secure energy storage supply chain that reduces dependence on critical materials.

Accelerating the Race to Achieve Long Duration Storage Shot

“These funding opportunities help propel the future of energy storage and deliver cost-effective solutions for our nation’s electricity needs,” said Gene Rodrigues, Assistant Secretary for Electricity. “Energy storage bolsters system reliability and enables every American to benefit from abundant and affordable clean energy. These consortia will accelerate the race to achieve the Long Duration Storage Shot, fulfilling the promise of next-generation energy storage technologies for the benefit of the American people.”

Selected Projects

• New Lab, LLC
  • Project Title: Enabling high-capacity zinc utilization through electrode and electrolyte fundamentals
  • Federal share: $4,992,570
• Battery Council International
  • Project Title: Consortium for Lead Battery Leadership in LDES
  • Federal share: $4,972,746
• Clean Tech Strategies LLC
  • Project Title: Pre-Competitive Research & Development to Accelerate the Maturation of Flow Battery Technologies into Cost-Effective Long Duration Energy Storage
  • Federal share: $5,000,000

These projects aim to solve key technical and non-technical challenges in the zinc, lead, and flow battery industries, emphasizing strong collaboration between industry participants, universities, and national labs. By leveraging significant expertise and capabilities, these consortia will pursue major improvements in long-duration storage to meet the nation’s growing need for clean, efficient, and cost-effective energy for a changing electric power grid.

DOE’s Commitment to Energy Storage Research and Development

The DOE has been actively involved in energy storage research and development for decades. Through investments and ongoing initiatives like the Energy Storage Grand Challenge, which draws on the extensive research capabilities of the DOE National Laboratories, universities, and industry, energy storage technologies have become more cost-effective and ready for commercialization.

The Office of Electricity announced the Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC) initiatives in July 2023 to accelerate the development, commercialization, and use of next-generation energy storage technologies. The goal is to sustain American global leadership in energy storage by developing and domestically manufacturing energy storage technologies that meet all U.S. market demands by 2030.

Learn More

Learn more about the Office of Electricity here.

Learn more about Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) here.

Learn more about the Energy Storage Grand Challenge here.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 13: Climate Action

The article discusses the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity (OE) to advance energy storage innovations. This is directly connected to SDG 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. Additionally, the article mentions the goal of achieving a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, aligning with SDG 13 on climate action. The advancements in energy storage technologies also contribute to SDG 9, which focuses on promoting sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
• SDG 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable.
• SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.

The article highlights the need for advancements in energy storage technologies to deliver clean, affordable electricity. By achieving a long-duration capable (10+ hours) energy storage technology with a pathway to $0.05/kWh Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS) by 2030, the article aligns with SDG 7.2. The projects funded through the FOA aim to tackle key R&D barriers in the energy storage industry, contributing to SDG 9.4. Lastly, the emphasis on reducing emissions and achieving a net-zero economy by 2050 connects to SDG 13.2.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions two indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Long-duration capable (10+ hours) energy storage technology
• $0.05/kWh Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS) by 2030

The article states that the projects funded through the FOA must enable a long-duration capable energy storage technology and achieve a pathway to $0.05/kWh LCOS by 2030. These indicators can be used to measure progress towards the targets of SDG 7.2 and SDG 9.4.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: energy.gov

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