China sets 2030 targets for solid-state batteries

1. China's first dedicated battery plan sets 19 priorities and 2030 targets for all-solid-state deployment and 15,000-cycle lithium batteries:
   english.www.gov.cn
2. The U.S. DOE committed $500 million across seven projects, including lithium extraction, cobalt refining, and three recycling or reprocessing plants:
   gcn.com
3. U.S. storage reached 18.9 GWh in Q2 as average system duration rose to 3.5 hours:
   woodmac.com

Policy, supply and deployment

China sets 2030 targets for solid-state batteries

• The plan contains 19 priority tasks across innovation, industrial upgrading, materials, safety, and supply-chain development.
• Its targets include initial large-scale application of all-solid-state batteries and 15,000-cycle lithium batteries by 2030; product defects at leading enterprises are targeted at parts-per-billion levels.

DOE funds seven U.S. battery supply-chain projects

• Awards cover direct lithium extraction, cobalt refining, next-generation anodes, electrolytes, and recycled battery black mass.
• Three of the seven projects focus on recycling or reprocessing plants, including a $100 million award to Nth Cycle.

U.S. storage installations reach 18.9 GWh in Q2

• Energy capacity rose 17% year over year while installed power capacity fell 7%.
• Average duration increased from 2.8 to 3.5 hours; utility-scale projects accounted for 17.6 GWh, or 4.7 GW.

Manufacturing plans and chemistry choice

Ultium adds LMR and LFP production at Spring Hill

• Ultium says LMR can provide 33% higher energy density than LFP at comparable cost.
• The upgrade is expected to create 500 jobs and will support LFP production for energy-storage systems.

Volkswagen delays Ontario gigafactory start to 2029

• The project could involve up to C$7 billion of investment and 3,000 jobs.
• PowerCo cites changing market conditions and battery chemistry decisions; the revised schedule also draws on experience from its Salzgitter factory.

Solid-state engineering constraints

Composite electrolyte supports 3,000 hours of lithium cycling

• The electrolyte sustained lithium plating and stripping for 3,000 hours at 0.1 mA/cm² and 60°C.
• A pouch cell retained 85.7% of its capacity after 100 cycles at 0.2C and 60°C; a LiFePO₄ coin cell retained 84.3% after 400 cycles.

Review maps cost barriers for solid electrolytes

• The analysis links electrolyte choice to precursor costs, synthesis conditions, energy demand, and process scalability.
• It identifies earth-abundant substitutions, lower-temperature synthesis, standardized benchmarks, and data-driven discovery as possible routes to lower cost.

Catholyte size improves dry-processed NMC811 retention

• Two-to-three-micrometre catholyte particles produced a dense, homogeneous structure and 92.6% capacity retention over 100 cycles.
• Nanoscale catholyte delivered high initial capacity but clustered and decayed rapidly; 3–5 µm particles increased void formation.