The Global investment in Solar technology has surpassed other generation technologies combined, with about 503 billion USD invested in Solar PV, according to the World Energy Investment 2024 report. However, this investment has long been limited by the dependence of solar energy on battery technology. Current battery technologies, particularly lithium-based batteries, have proven unsuitable for the long-term solar future that the world needs. These batteries have a short lifespan, leading to high maintenance costs for many solar projects.
However, this future could be changing soon with the introduction of seawater batteries. Researchers at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, are exploring seawater batteries as a reliable solution. These batteries are expected to be safer, cheaper, and more easily recyclable compared to their lithium counterparts. However, their development is currently held back by the lack of a suitable anode.
Dr. Xiaolei Wang and his team at the University of Alberta have developed an anode that allows seawater batteries to achieve thousands of charge-discharge cycles over their lifespan. A charge-discharge cycle refers to a battery being fully charged and then fully discharged. The number of cycles a battery can handle before losing efficiency determines its lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries last 500–1,500 cycles, while seawater batteries 380,000 cycles, making them more durable and sustainable. The anode for the seawater battery is made from advanced materials, including polymer nanosheets and carbon nanotubes, which improve its durability and efficiency. This makes the seawater batteries suitable for large scale solar projects.
With further research and development, seawater batteries could revolutionize renewable energy storage, making solar energy more viable and sustainable for the future.
References:
Z. Xu, P. Li, J. Zhao, K. Hu, W. Jia, S. Gasilov, G. Li, X. Wang, A Universal Thick Anode for Aqueous and Seawater Energy Storage Devices. Adv. Mater. 2025, 37, 2416427. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202416427
Faunce TA, Prest J, Su D, Hearne SJ, Iacopi F. On-grid batteries for large-scale energy storage: Challenges and opportunities for policy and technology. MRS Energy & Sustainability. 2018;5:E11. doi:10.1557/mre.2018.11
IEA (2024), World Energy Investment 2024, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-investment-2024, Licence: CC BY 4.0
Li, S., & Tian, X. (2024). Progress of seawater batteries: From mechanisms, materials to applications. Journal of Power Sources, 617, 235161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2024.235161
S. Arnold, L. Wang, V. Presser, Dual-Use of Seawater Batteries for Energy Storage and Water Desalination. Small 2022, 18, 2107913. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202107913
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