Developing “NY-BEST” battery technology
This week the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced $8 million in awards to help develop or commercialize energy storage technologies. The largest single award ($2.5 million) went to a team led by GE Global Research to accelerate the advancement of sodium metal halide batteries. This collaborative research effort draws experts from across New York State to significantly enhance the next generation of these batteries through improved reliability, cycle life, and performance. These improvements will be derived via advances in the fundamental understanding of reaction and degradation mechanisms, improvements in high-performance materials, development of predictive multi-scale electrochemical models, creation of world leading in-situ characterization techniques, and the convergence of laboratory scale optimizations into full-cell validations.
You may have read about the sodium battery technology on this blog previously – including plans to establish manufacturing capability in Schenectady, NY. Initially studied for GE’s hybrid locomotive, we see great potential for it today in stationary backup power (for example in telecommunication towers, hospitals, and data centers) and hybridized heavy-duty off-highway vehicles (like locomotives and mining vehicles). In the future, through the work of our scientists and collaborations like the one announced this week, we envision serving even broader markets.
GE Global Research has had a foundational role in building this new battery business for GE. Our scientists and engineers bring a diverse skill set, from basic electrochemistry and multi-physics modeling, to ceramics and metallurgy, to cell building and testing; along with the proven ability to successfully transition technology into the marketplace. In addition to GE Global Research, the project includes leading researchers from four New York universities (Clarkson, Columbia, Alfred, and Stony Brook) and Brookhaven National Laboratory. This world-class team will contribute expertise in electrochemistry, nanoparticle synthesis, computer modeling, ceramics, glasses, and in-situ characterization. We also see this statewide collaboration as a small first step towards creating a “technology ecosystem” of research institutions, suppliers, manufacturers and customers that will form the basis for vibrant and sustainable growth.
The battery manufacturing plant being set up in Schenectady is expected to directly create upwards of 350 jobs when in full productions. I am very excited to be a part of bringing this project to fruition and building the interactions that will carry it into an even brighter future.
Develop good lithium battery technology.