Flow Batteries Are Here And They Will Change Everything
A new technology is taking battery sustainability to a whole new level.
As the world turns its back on fossil fuels, battery technology is becoming increasingly important. Unfortunately, our current batteries are far from ideal, particularly lithium-ion batteries. They have short lifespans, cost a bomb, have a substantial environmental impact, habitually catch on fire, and are difficult to recycle. But this is all set to change, as a new revolutionary battery is ready to take over. Welcome to the wonderful world of flow batteries.
Usually, when I talk about new battery technology, they tend to be concepts currently being developed in a lab, where they won’t see the light of day for years. But flow batteries are already a reality. Fort Carson, a US military base, has contracted Lockheed Martin to build a 10 MWh redox flow battery to store its solar farm’s energy. Why has this military base opted for this technology? Well, it has a nearly-infinite life cycle, almost no degradation, huge safety margins, is nearly 100% recyclable, is incredibly eco-friendly, and all while being astonishingly cheap.
