Cleaner Energy Storage: Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment of Aluminum-Ion Batteries With an Aqueous Electrolyte

• Main Authors: N Melzack, RGA Wills, A Cruden
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-06-01
• Series: Frontiers in Energy Research
• Subjects: aluminum-ion batteries; life cycle (impact) assessment; aqueous electrolyte; Al-ion; energy storage (batteries); environmental impact assessment—EIA
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2021.699919/full

In the context of growing demand on energy storage, exploring the holistic sustainability of technologies is key to future-proofing our development. In this article, a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment of aqueous electrolyte aluminum-ion (Al-ion) batteries has been performed. Due to their reported characteristics of high power (circa 300 W kg−1 active material) and low energy density (circa 15 Wh kg−1 active material), these results were compared with those of supercapacitors (per kW). Initial findings suggest these aluminum-ion cells have fewer environmental impacts than commercial supercapacitors, hence offering a more environmentally sensitive energy storage technology solution. Al-ion batteries are in their early development, and this result shows a strong argument for continuing research into this technology alongside other emerging energy storage systems.