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While the large batteries have been extremely useful in stabilising a grid composed mainly of renewables, true grid-scale storage will likely not be based on li

While the large batteries have been extremely useful in stabilising a grid composed mainly of renewables, true grid-scale storage will likely not be based on lithium battery tech, but on things like pumped hydro and molten salt heat storage. Having said that, Australian lithium exports are tipped to exceed those of coal by value within 5 years. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/07/value-of-australian-lithium-exports-tipped-to-match-thermal-coal-in-five-years https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/07/value...

Robotbeat 4y ago
Pumped hydro isn’t any cheaper fundamentally per kWh than lithium cells. Tesla currently sells Megapacks with a high profit margin, but the bulk supplier cell level lithium iron phosphate cells are about half the price per kWh as a finished pumped hydro station (which is to say that the fundamental technology is cheap, even if demand is so high right now that pumped hydro might be cheaper than Megapacks).