Lithium-ion batteries are the most common battery storage choice for grid operations today, supplying more than 90% of the world’s grid markets. This is because they can store energy efficiently without losing it for long periods of time.

They also feature in consumer electronics, such as smartphones and laptops, and most electric vehicle manufacturers. Lithium-ion batteries even drive research and exploration in space, powering the Mars Curiosity Rover, for example.

The Downside of Cleaner Electric Power

The development of lithium-ion batteries – and other improvements to battery technology – has helped the planet transition toward using cleaner electric power in the last few decades.

Reliable, long-lasting, and energy-efficient battery technology can enable emissions-free electric infrastructure to become widespread. It can also help us maximize the potential of renewable energy sources by storing and transporting energy from renewable sources worldwide and year-round.

However, lithium extraction to make lithium-ion batteries poses its own environmental challenges. In South America, lithium mining consumes approximately 2.2 million liters of freshwater per ton of lithium produced.

Extracting the toxic material damages soil, and mining operations contaminate the atmosphere by emitting fugitive particles.

Lithium-based batteries are also toxic when discarded. It is possible to recycle these and recover the lithium for future batteries, but lithium recycling is not well established and research in this area seems stagnant.

Read more: Environmental Impacts of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Alternatives to Lithium in Batteries

1 Singapore’s Flint Develops World’s Most Sustainable Battery Made Up of Paper!

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Flint says its paper battery is lighter and cheaper to conventional lithium-ion batteries. It can power everyday electronics and biodegrade in just six weeks when buried in soil.

Flint Paper Battery-

Flint Ink & Chemical Industry  flint.com.sg

Researchers at a Singapore-based firm have invented a biodegradable paper battery, which they claim, can revolutionise the way the world uses and stores energy!

As per Flint, it has developed the world’s most sustainable battery, which is capable of addressing the significant environmental challenges of current energy storage systems through the use of renewable materials that can biodegrade in just six weeks when buried in soil.

Terming it as a ‘revolutionary’ water-based, rechargeable battery technology, developed from the ground up with sustainability at its core, Flint says its paper battery offers a comparable lifespan to conventional lithium-ion batteries, while also being lighter, cheaper and versatile enough to power everyday electronics.

It works by using a ring of hydrogel within a piece of paper that serves as an electrolyte and a separator, with its design aimed at integrating with existing lithium-ion battery manufacturing processes.

Flint CEO and co-founder Carlo Charles said, “Our batteries are engineered to excel where traditional technologies fall short, and we believe they will transform industries that demand superior safety, sustainability and flexibility. We’re not just offering a sustainable option; we’re offering a better, safer and more affordable alternative to unsustainable batteries.”

The Singapore-based deep-tech startup recently raised USD 2 million in seed funding to accelerate the commercialization of its sustainable energy storage solutions, especially the paper battery.

In response to these challenges, researchers worldwide are seeking alternatives. As well as the alternative materials discussed below, alternative production cycles are also recommended. These include better design to ensure longer-lasting batteries and a circular economy model to recover used material.

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2 Aluminum

Aluminum is a readily available resource and one of the most recyclable materials.

It is also much cheaper than aluminum. In 2005, lithium was priced at around $1,460 per ton. This has risen sharply to approximately $13,000 per ton. But in the same period, aluminum’s price (initially more than lithium) only rose from $1,730 to $2,078 per ton.

As a result, many researchers are developing aluminum-based battery technology that could replace lithium. Some of these even perform better than conventional batteries.

Australian company Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) claims its aluminum-ion battery charges 60 times faster than conventional lithium-ion batteries.