How safe is the next generation of battery chemistries?

If the future is electric, then the world needs many more batteries. To triple renewable energy, as 133 countries pledged to do at COP28, battery storage capacity must increase six-fold by 2030, while the demand for electric vehicle batteries will grow seven-fold, according to the International Energy Agency. The demands of different applications and raw materials limits, alongside concerns about supply chain security and safety are all pushing the industry to develop new battery chemistries.

Solid state and sodium-ion batteries are advancing rapidly but also in the running are lithium–sulfur, lithium–air, potassium-ion and aluminium-ion batteries.

But experts are warning that the advances are so rapid they are outpacing researchers’ ability to understand and gauge their safety risks. What’s more or less safe is a nuanced question, because many variables have to be considered.