Australian startups announced the creation of the world's first operating thermal battery. Its service life is 20 years, and it can store up to six times more energy than lithium-ion batteries per unit volume. And all this is 60-80 percent cheaper.

TED (Thermal Energy Device) is a modular energy storage device that can consolidate any type of electricity — solar, wind, fossil, or obtained directly from the network — and uses it to heat and melt silicon in a special insulated chamber. Energy is generated using a heat engine. A standard TED battery contains 1.2 megawatt-hours of energy and easily fits into a 6-meter container.

The developers report that it can store 12 times more energy than a lead-acid battery, and several times more than a lithium-ion battery. The volume starts from the 5-kilowatt version and further is virtually unlimited due to the modular design. Thanks to the use of silicon, the battery can be charged and discharged at the same time, showing no signs of natural depreciation even after 3000 cycles.

Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands are already interested in technology. The release should start this quarter. And after the devices are tested on a commercial basis, the company plans to quickly increase production and in the next few years to install 100-megawatt batteries.

hi-tech.mail.ru