Energy Storage Breakthroughs Enable a Strong & Secure Energy Landscape - CleanTechnica

The article highlights significant advancements in energy storage technologies led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, emphasizing their role in creating a resilient, secure, and domestically supported energy landscape. Argonne is pioneering breakthroughs across the entire energy storage lifecycle—from discovering alternatives to critical, scarce materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, to developing new battery chemistries such as sodium-ion and water-based batteries, and improving end-of-life recycling processes. These innovations aim to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains, enhance grid reliability, and support American manufacturing competitiveness. Argonne’s contributions include the development of the nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide (NMC) cathode widely used in electric vehicles and the integration of artificial intelligence to accelerate materials discovery and optimize battery performance. The laboratory’s approach combines fundamental science with practical applications to ensure future energy storage solutions are safe, efficient, long-lasting, and domestically produced. Additionally, Argonne leads collaborative efforts like the Energy Storage Research Alliance (ESRA