For several years now, the US has celebrated National Battery Day on February 18. The day commemorates the birthday of Alessandro Volta (February 18, 1754) – the inventor of the electric battery. A technologically complex application that seems more relevant than ever in the face of this holistic transformation in mobility: Over the past decade, lithium-ion batteries have become the backbone of the ecological transformation.
Demand for high-performance battery cells is growing
Demand for high-performance battery cells is likely to increase significantly in the coming years: In a recent forecast, the consulting firm McKinsey expects demand to rise from around 700 gigawatt-hours in 2022 to 4,700 gigawatt-hours in 2030. “Perhaps, we need a National Battery Day in Germany – like in the US. However, what we need to establish is much more awareness of the importance and potential of battery technology. This ranges from combating climate change to the necessary realignment of our economic model. Lithium-ion batteries are the key technology of the 21st century,” says Dr. Dirk Abendroth, CEO of Customcells Holding.
Customcells sees great potential in the aviation sector, among others. The electrification of air traffic could make a significant contribution to climate and environmental protection. In Germany, for example, flights by private jets recently accounted for around 12 percent of air traffic and emitted more than one million tons of CO2. Almost half of all recent domestic passenger flights only traveled between 400 and 500 kilometers. “We are co-piloting the story of the century,” says Abendroth, who wants to drive the holistic electrification of air transport with his team.
Lithium-ion battery technology is a gamechanger
Customcells’ technology will not only prove itself in the air in the future; today, it is already doing so in everyday life. E-mobility on the road is just one example. Application-specific lithium-ion battery cells also enable the construction and development of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), which explore the oceans climate-neutrally. Specially manufactured battery cells are leading to innovations in medicine, e.g., by eliminating cable connections in medical instruments or making technologies, such as pacemakers, reliable. Combining digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, with battery cells opens up additional possibilities. Data reconciliation between battery solutions in use and production can help to continuously optimize the multitude of parameters that need to be considered in manufacturing.
“For Germany’s industry, lithium-ion technology offers tremendous opportunities. New application scenarios are arising almost daily,” says Torge Thönnessen, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Customcells. “But to take full advantage of these opportunities, Germany also needs to step up training for skilled workers in the field,” says Thönnessen, who co-founded the company with Leopold König more than ten years ago. That is why we need to draw more awareness to the importance of batteries, especially in the education and training sector. Customcells sees itself as being ‘powered by people’. In addition to cooperations with universities, the company relies on a comprehensive internal training program and participates in national and international forums to address future employees to holistically counter the impending shortage of skilled workers.
