L R AS Published on Saturday 17 September 2022 - n° 416 - Categories:lithium batteries
DNV study on LFP batteries
Following its study of the performance of 19 battery cells, DNV estimates that the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells of Chinese battery manufacturers
CATL and Narada offer the best performance in stationary energy storage applications: they emerged as the best performers in the "less than two hours of grid support" and "four hours of solar displacement" categories.
CATL is the world's largest manufacturer in 2022, with a cell production volume of 132 GWh, ahead of South Korea's LG Energy Solution with 94 GWh, followed by Panasonic with 60 GWh.
DNV recommends studying a supplier's battery by comparing four criteria:
1) Start with the cell, which is the main component. It determines performance, safety and cost. Find out who manufactures the cell (if different from the system integrator) and how long the cell has been in production.
2°) Total sales of the battery cell and the integrated system are both good indicators of product reliability. The longer the product has been on the market, the more the various teething problems have been corrected.
3°) Ask for the "bankability report". An independent check of the integrated system is essential if you are to make an informed decision. Battery manufacturers should have bankability reports on their products and be happy to share them with potential customers to demonstrate their commitment to transparency.
4°) Ask for the results of independent tests. These validate the design, operation and safety of each product. Independent testing verifies that the product will function as specified without manufacturer intervention.
In addition, DNV's 2022 analysis highlights some key features that are important to consider when comparing different battery cells. In terms of safety, these are the temperatures at which venting and thermal runaway occur. For example, DNV noted that cells from different manufacturers and with different chemistries demonstrated "very different" onset temperatures for venting and thermal runaway. It noted that large differences between venting and runaway temperatures occurred in battery cells.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/09/12/dnv-identifies-catl-narada-batteries-as-top-performers/
PV Magazine of 12 September 2022
