Can hydrogen beat lithium in coming time?

Highlights:

• Rising global warming concerns have increased the demand for lithium and hydrogen batteries.
• Lithium batteries currently account for over 85% of the deployed energy storage system.
• Because of the scarcity of lithium in nature, there is a gradual increase in the demand for hydrogen batteries.

The electric vehicle landscape is changing rapidly, probably driven by the rising awareness of net zero emission. Because of the rapid change in technology and interest, there is a possibility that we will see EVs take to the roads, seas, and sky.

Through net zero, countries worldwide are planning to reduce net carbon emissions. Net zero means attaining a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.

By 2030, the global lithium demand is expected to be around US$182 billion, increasing at a CAGR of ~18% from 2022 till 2030. However, there is an ongoing discussion concerning the shortage of lithium. Many experts predict that there could be a sharp increase in lithium costs due to its rising demand and shortage in this resource.

However, there are alternatives in the market as well, giving tough competition to lithium. One such alternative is hydrogen.

In this article, we will look at the features of lithium and hydrogen and try to understand will hydrogen beat lithium in the coming period?

About Lithium:

Lithium-ion batteries are amongst the most popular forms of energy storage worldwide. It accounts for over 85% of the deployed energy storage system. Lithium-ion batteries are common in consumer electronics. They are amongst the most popular types of rechargeable batteries for portable electronics They have amongst the best energy-to-weight ratios, high open circuit voltage, low self-discharge rate, no memory effect, along with a slow loss of charge when not in use.

Features of lithium batteries:

Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable batteries that can be recharged several times and are comparatively stable. They tend to have a higher energy density, voltage capacity, and lower self-discharge rate compared to other rechargeable batteries. This makes for improved power efficiency as a single cell has longer charge retention than other battery types.

Advantage of lithium batteries:

Because of the above features of lithium-ion batteries, it is being used in several applications, from electronic devices like smartphone batteries, laptops to vehicles.

Below are some of the advantages of lithium-ion batteries:

1. High Density: High density is one of the chief advantages of using lithium-ion batteries. In equipment like a mobile phone which needs to operate longer between the two charges, there is a requirement for batteries with high density.
2. Self-discharge: One of the major challenges with rechargeable batteries is the self-discharge rate. Compared to many rechargeable batteries, lithium batteries have a much lower self-discharge rate.
3. Low maintenance: Lithium batteries do not require maintenance to ensure their performance.
4. Cell Voltage: Lithium-ion batteries produce a voltage of ~3.6 volts, which is higher than many other batteries like standard nickel-cadmium, nickel metal hydride, and even standard alkaline cells that produce a voltage of 1.5 volts.
5. Load Characteristics: Compared to many batteries, lithium batteries have better load characteristics. They provide consistent 3.6 volts per cell till getting discharged.

Why are hydrogen batteries gaining market attention?

Like many advantages, there are several disadvantages of lithium-ion batteries, due to which hydrogen batteries are getting attention. Many experts believe lithium batteries need to be greener and more ethical as they are linked to the human future.

Lithium-ion technology has a downside for people as well as the planet. This is so because, in the extraction process of lithium and cobalt, there is a huge requirement for energy as well as water. The work at the mining site is highly unsafe for human beings.

In Chile, which is the second largest producer of lithium, is also feeling the effect of lithium. In the lithium extraction process, miners drill holes into salt flats to pump salty, mineral-rich brine to the surface. These are left for up to 18 months so that the liquid evaporates before returning to scoop up the lithium carbonate.

This process impacts the nearby areas and pollutes grassland and rivers, which could affect the health of the coming generation.

Other than this, toxic chemicals are used in lithium processing. In case of these chemical spills, it could impact the environment and the human race.

Hydrogen batteries and their advantages:

Because of the above disadvantages, people have started looking toward hydrogen batteries. If we talk about hydrogen batteries, these batteries use the chemical energy of hydrogen to produce electricity. It is a pure form of energy, with electricity, heat, and water being the only products and by-products. They offer several applications from transportation to emergency backup. It has the potential to power systems from as small as a laptop to as big as a power plant.

Below are some of its advantages:

1. Hydrogen batteries have greater storage than lithium-ion batteries
2. Hydrogen-powered vehicles can be refuelled within a few minutes.
3. Highly efficient
4. Low emission

Challenges with hydrogen batteries:

1. The cost of hydrogen batteries could be on the higher end due to the presence of platinum as one of the components in the battery.
2. The extraction process of hydrogen can take immense energy to attain, undermining the green benefits of fuel cell use.
3. Hydrogen is highly flammable. Hence there could be a safety concern.

Bottomline:

Based on the features, advantages, and disadvantages of lithium-ion cell and hydrogen cell, the lightness, and quick refuelling provides an advantage to hydrogen batteries over lithium batteries. Further, technology is advancing. So, it may be possible for scientists to take care of the safety issues with hydrogen in the coming period. Also, because of the scarcity of lithium, there is a huge possibility that people may gradually switch to hydrogen batteries.

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