The energy storage heavyweight Fluence and the solid-state battery startup QuantumScape Thursday morning announced a multiyear agreement to test and deploy QuantumScape lithium-metal tech in stationary applications.
Why it matters: Storage growth is important to enabling high levels of renewables penetration and also helps aid grid reliability. Solid-state battery tech holds the promise of higher energy density and other benefits.
The intrigue: The announcement signals the evolving business plan of QuantumScape, whose backers include VW and the Bill Gates-led Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
- "While we have historically focused on automotive applications, we believe our battery technology is broadly applicable and can play a role in other sectors contributing to a lower-carbon future," CEO Jagdeep Singh said in a statement.
How it works: Fluence — a joint venture between Siemens and AES Corp. — is reserving batteries from a QuantumScape pre-pilot facility for testing.
- "The companies expect to enter into a large-scale supply agreement in the course of the collaboration," they said.