DoE calls for a chemical battery with 5x capacity, within 5
years – can it be done? The Department of Energy wants batteries
with five times the energy storage of those we have today. They
want them to be five times cheaper and to be ready in five
years. Earlier this year the Department’s solicitation for
proposals was announced, and now five universities have been
chosen for the job along with several national labs and private
companies. According to US Energy Secretary Steven Chu, a
“Manhattan Project-like atmosphere” is to be fostered. With a
funding level of only $ 120 million and no visible enemy at the
border, what are the prospects for success? By most estimates
the Manhattan Project — a research program that led to the first
atomic bomb — was funded to the tune of $ 2 billion, which today
would be around $ 20 billion. The Battery and Energy Storage
Hub, as the new project is called, barely scratches the surface
of that. Today’s chemical battery technology is fairly mature,
and a serious competitor tha