The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is launching an ambitious initiative to develop batteries with four times the energy density of current lithium-ion technology. The department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has allocated up to $15 million to six teams, with the goal of producing prototypes of next-generation energy storage solutions within two years.
According to James Seaba, program director at ARPA-E, the initiative aims to create a battery system that significantly outperforms existing technologies. “We want to develop a system, a battery system or an energy system, that has four times the energy density of lithium-ion batteries that we have today,” he stated. If successful, this breakthrough could enhance the capabilities of military drones, robots, and aircraft.
This initiative, known as the Jumpstart Opportunities to Unleash Leadership in Energy Storage with 1K Energy Storage Systems (JOULES-1K), has progressed significantly since its inception 18 months ago. Initially, the program included 13 teams in its first phase, with only six qualifying for the second phase, which focuses on developing working prototypes.
During the first phase, which had a budget of $16.9 million, participating teams validated various chemical processes and components of the proposed systems. Now, these teams must deliver scalable battery systems by the end of phase two.
Batteries play a crucial role in modern military operations, powering everything from troop-carried systems to drones. Many existing batteries rely on materials sourced from China, which is also advancing its own next-generation battery technologies. Consequently, the Pentagon is keen on fostering domestic energy-storage innovations to reduce reliance on foreign sources.
Among the JOULES-1K performers is And Battery Aero, a startup based in Silicon Valley, which received approximately $4 million to develop its high-energy battery technology tailored for drones. Venkat Viswanathan, the company’s founder and a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan, emphasized the importance of collaboration with commercial drone partners to integrate their energy storage solutions effectively.
Viswanathan noted that their previous work in an earlier ARPA-E program led to a 25 percent increase in energy density through innovations in chemistry and material science. “There’s nothing like that first demonstration flight,” he remarked, highlighting the significance of achieving practical results. “All of these kinds of scientific advances face scaling challenges. And we know that it’s real. And so I think we have our work cut out for the next 24 months.”
Other notable teams participating in this initiative include institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland – College Park, Illinois Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Precision Combustion. The outcomes of this program could redefine energy storage, paving the way for more efficient and powerful applications in various fields.
