NGS – New Generation Storage

The New Generation Storage (NGS) Innovation Pact is fully aligned with the European Union’s energy transition strategy by 2040, and the challenge for the complete electrification of mobility by 2035. Based on a model structured in 8 Work Packages that cover the entire value chain of production of components, packs and battery recycling, it is proposed to add value to each stage of the process, culminating in a common goal: the creation of a new technological ecosystem in the area of batteries that will make the national industry stand out in the global market. Through the cooperation of 47 entities, it is intended to structurally transform the national productive fabric, creating the necessary conditions – at the technological and human resources level – for an industrial ecosystem capable of the mass production of innovative technologies, and a complete value chain that allows the management of end-of-life of reference worldwide.

Objectives: NGS is composed of complementary technological Work Packages (WP), with the capacity to autonomously generate Products, Processes or Services (PPS) for the international market, incorporating innovative technologies that can increase the value over the time of the project. Individually, each WP can operate independently in a specific area of the value chain. However, together, they interconnect and build a meaningful circular chain.

WP1 “Advanced Refining and Recovery” aims at the installation of a large refinery and actions related to sustainable refining and recovery processes, aiming to implement an innovative and improved industrial line for lithium processing, through sustainable technology based on membrane electrolysis.

WP 2 “Cells, Modules and Components” aims at the installation and operation of cell/module manufacturing lines and the development of new, safer and more sustainable electrodes, ligands, electrolytes and separators, in close relation to WP1 and WP5.

WP3 “Battery Assembly” provides for the installation of three production assembly lines for stationary battery modules for the automotive industry; it also provides for the integration of cabling, connectors and enclosures, as well as energy management systems and control electronics, modeling and development of the proposed product.

WP4 “Integration and Application” includes five pilot lines related to: the connection of batteries to the grid for grid management; the use of batteries for different purposes – residential, commercial and industrial; battery integration in fast charging stations; battery integration in vehicles. These pilot lines will allow the definition of technology and knowledge that will be applied to the use of batteries in a wide range of situations.

WP5 “Recycling and Second Life” includes lines of action related to the recycling of battery materials and components, battery disassembly and second-life batteries. In addition, recycling the battery elements will allow the WP1 to be powered, creating a fully enclosed circular design.

WP6 “Training and Advanced Courses” is transversal to the entire NGS Innovation Pact and aims to train human resources in the companies involved in NGS, as well as to provide highly specialized training for future master’s and doctoral students, promoting technical and university qualifications in companies.

WP7 “Technology Platform and Entrepreneurship” is also transversal to the entire Innovation Pact and includes lines of action with the aim of developing and implementing a Technology Platform, which will support the national industry to position itself as an important international player in the battery sector. The main objective of this Platform is to support market innovation (from laboratory to factory) for the full development and market adoption of technological solutions, supporting them in all necessary stages of development along the value chain.

WP8 “Dissemination and Management” is structural for the entire project and aims to communicate and disseminate the global objectives and results of the NGS, intending to widely promote this Pact among the sector’s stakeholders (scientific community and market). It also includes the technical management of the NGS Pact.

Thus, the NGS pact will deliver 18 PPS, namely:

PPS1 – Sustainable technology for lithium refining

PPS2 – Predictive platform based on Machine Learning

PPS3 – New retrofit process for the valorization of HCI by-products for the production of LiCI

PPS4 – New processes for the pilot production of innovative batteries, using different technologies, such as: flexible batteries, thin-film solid-state batteries and structural batteries

PPS5 – New service for the testing and laboratory validation of the newly developed cathodic solutions

PPS6 – New disruptive enclosures for prismatic and cylindrical cells

PPS7 – New processes for the testing and certification of batteries

PPS8 – New technology for the fast charging of battery packs

PPS9 – Modular energy management system

PPS10 – New sustainable processes for the recycling of lithium-ion batteries

PPS11 – New industrial processes and services for 2nd life applications

PPS12 – New training and capacity building modules in the battery sector

PPS13 – Platform and collaborative network NGS

PPS14 – Digital systems for energy management

More information at https://newgenstorage.pt/

Know more about the Recovery and Resilience Plan at https://recuperarportugal.gov.pt/