German and Dutch Institute Cooperate for More Powerful Lithium-ion Batteries

German and Dutch institute cooperate for more powerful lithium-ion batteries.

Cross-border network to accelerate development cycles

The Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the Dutch Institute TNO of the Holst Center will in future jointly develop lithium-ion batteries for the European automotive industry. The work is carried out in an application-oriented manner with local partners from battery production and the automotive industry. 

Both research institutions will contribute their respective expertise to accelerate the development of more powerful battery materials and cells. The Dutch province of Noord-Brabant and the state of Baden-Württemberg are providing around 3.4 million euros for this cross-border research. The work should contribute to the achievement of the European Union’s ambitious CO _{2 emission targets.}

The aim of the new research project is to improve battery performance by stabilizing the interfaces in the lithium-ion battery using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The TNO center in Eindhoven has more than 15 years of experience with the sophisticated ADL technology and has close ties with device manufacturers in the Noord-Brabant region. 

The ZSW, in turn, contributes its extensive expertise in the fields of materials research and integration in electrodes and cells. It is also heavily involved in the industrial value chain of the German automotive industry. For detailed material characterization there is also a cooperation with the Natural Science and Medical Institute at the University of Tübingen (NMI).

Lithium as the focus of the first developments

The project will initially focus on improving the existing lithium-ion batteries, as this technology still offers great potential for improvement combined with short integration times. Next-generation batteries, such as sodium-ion batteries, which are currently the subject of intense debate, will be examined in a second phase.

The project, which will run until the end of February 2025, is intended as the first step in a long-term collaboration between the two research and development centers. The content is the establishment of a cross-border battery network in which both institutions include partners from the entire value chain of battery production in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant and Germany. 

This network will help improve economic activity and job opportunities in both regions. The province of Noord-Brabant is supporting the Dutch activities with 2.1 million euros, while ZSW and NMI receive funding of 1.3 million euros from the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs.

A cross-border battery network

Margret Wohlfahrt-Multiens Head of Electrochemical Materials Research at the ZSW in Ulm:

It is high time to establish strong cross-border relationships and cooperation within the countries of the European Union. 

“The pace of development for lithium-ion batteries must be further accelerated in order to meet the European Union’s CO _{2 emission targets.} This collaboration combines the technology development on the Dutch side with the understanding of battery materials and electrodes in Baden-Württemberg.”

Ton van Mol, Managing Director of TNO at the Holst Centre:

Our ALD single-layer deposition technology significantly improves the stability of current and next-generation lithium-ion batteries, which will enable, for example, shorter charging times. 

“Thanks to our expertise in thin-film technology, this new generation of batteries will also be much more stable. The technology can be seamlessly integrated into existing gigafactories and used in the mass production of battery cells associated with electric vehicles. This collaboration is a great first step to bring the Dutch and German battery technology ecosystems closer together.”

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ZSW and Dutch institute cooperate for more powerful lithium-ion batteries, April 14, 2023