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The CARBAT project is working on a prototype of a new rechargeable high-energy density battery (over 650 Wh/kg) with a fuel cell made of calcium. The motivation behind this initiative is that while lithium-ion batteries represent a significant part of the battery market, they have their technological limitations for instance in terms of energy density. Lithium is also a limited resource on Earth, and therefore finding alternative, more abundant chemical elements is important. In the search for safe, cheap, sustainable and technologically better alternatives, calcium could be a solution. Calcium is highly abundant on Earth while offering many chemical similarities with lithium. A battery based on calcium could store a higher amount of energy while avoiding use of critical material such as lithium.
As part of the FET People Series of FETFX, Rosa Palacìn Peiró, a research professor at the Institute of Materials Science (ICMAB), Barcelona talks about the Calcium Rechargeable BAttery Technology - the CARBAT project. This initiative is a European FET (Future and Emerging Technologies) project, that involves four European research institutions.
Read the full interview: If batteries are the question, calcium could be the answer