Science Youtuber Jacob Beautemps introduces the Challenge teams at Breaking Lab
The Challenge: Store energy and efficiently provide power for more than ten hours without using critical raw materials.
Your Challenge:
Long-Duration Energy Storage
Hello people with radical new ideas!
We need breakthrough innovations to store energy. Long-term. Efficiently. Cost-effective. We need bold ideas. We need you.
To play its part in the fight against climate change, Germany must become climate-neutral by 2045 and secure its energy supply exclusively from renewable sources. The pressure to act has also increased as a result of the Ukraine war, as gas has lost its appeal as a transitional technology and - and Germany's independence in terms of energy supply has become massively more important. In view of these new existential threats, the increasingly frequent natural disasters and extreme weather events, the share of renewable energies must rise sharply over the next two decades. At the same time, baseload nuclear and coal-fired power plants are to be completely taken off the grid by 2038 and replaced by wind and solar power.
In this context, long periods without significant solar and wind energy potential pose a particular challenge, so-called dark lulls. During these dark lulls, the output of wind and solar power is only a fraction of the usual average output, so that the energy demand cannot be met even with the help of load management and short-term storage. In Germany, several dark lulls with a length of more than 48 hours occur per year, but in individual cases they can also last for up to ten days. During these periods, long-term energy storage, i.e. energy storage with a storage duration of at least ten hours, plays an essential role in ensuring the stability of the power grid. In addition, long periods usually extend through the winter, during which energy generation will lag behind energy demand in the future.
Long-term energy storage is a central building block for energy autonomy and the achievement of climate targets, and at the same time a growing multi-billion market, which, however, can only be served inadequately with the currently market-ready technologies.
In this context, long periods without significant solar and wind energy potential pose a particular challenge, so-called dark lulls. During these dark lulls, the output of wind and solar power is only a fraction of the usual average output, so that the energy demand cannot be met even with the help of load management and short-term storage. In Germany, several dark lulls with a length of more than 48 hours occur per year, but in individual cases they can also last for up to ten days. During these periods, long-term energy storage, i.e. energy storage with a storage duration of at least ten hours, plays an essential role in ensuring the stability of the power grid. In addition, long periods usually extend through the winter, during which energy generation will lag behind energy demand in the future.
Long-term energy storage is a central building block for energy autonomy and the achievement of climate targets, and at the same time a growing multi-billion market, which, however, can only be served inadequately with the currently market-ready technologies.
The Challenge will identify breakthrough technological approaches that enable long-term, efficient, and cost-effective energy storage. Key factors are raw material and system costs, self-discharge, storage efficiency, lifetime, energy density, and technical and economic scalability of the project idea.
We support:
Breakthrough innovations
Teams participating in this Challenge are fully challenged. SPRIND therefore provides intensive and individual support. This includes funding the teams with up to €1 million in Stage 1 of the Challenge and up to €3 million in the 2nd and final Stage. In order to help the teams develop their full potential, SPRIND provides them not only with financial support but also with a coach who accompanies, advises and networks the work of each team.
To enable the teams to concentrate fully on their innovations, we provide funding quickly and unbureaucratically. At the end of the first stage of the Challenge, after one year, the jury decides on the basis of interim evaluations which teams will continue to participate in the Challenge. As finalists, these teams are given the opportunity to drive their project forward for another year and a half and to comprehensively demonstrate their breakthrough.
Thinking one step further: Ideas with the potential for a breakthrough innovation must be brought to market to benefit us all - promising projects in this sense can therefore continue to be supported by SPRIND after the Challenge has ended.
To enable the teams to concentrate fully on their innovations, we provide funding quickly and unbureaucratically. At the end of the first stage of the Challenge, after one year, the jury decides on the basis of interim evaluations which teams will continue to participate in the Challenge. As finalists, these teams are given the opportunity to drive their project forward for another year and a half and to comprehensively demonstrate their breakthrough.
Thinking one step further: Ideas with the potential for a breakthrough innovation must be brought to market to benefit us all - promising projects in this sense can therefore continue to be supported by SPRIND after the Challenge has ended.
Start of the 2nd stage
In November 2023, the expert jury selected the participants for the second and final stage of the 'Long-Duration Energy Storage' challenge. Four teams will each receive up to 3 million euros over the next 18 months for the further development of their long-term energy storage technology.
The Jury
Gitanjali DasGupta
Sebastian Scholz
Anna Grevé
Pasquale Salza
Pilar Gonzalez
Nick de la Forge
FAQ
SPRIND supports all teams in achieving the Challenge goal. This includes that SPRIND finances the work of the teams from the beginning of the Challenge. In addition, we provide all teams with a coach who has extensive experience in implementing high impact innovations. From this experience, the coach supports the teams, for example, in planning work packages and experiments, or in networking with collaboration partners or subcontractors. In addition, SPRIND uses its network to promote the implementation of breakthrough innovations.
All expenses that serve to achieve the Challenge goal can be financed with SPRIND funds. This can include, for example, personnel costs, equipment and materials or rent.
The intellectual property rights created by the teams during the Challenge remain with the teams. SPRIND receives a free and non-exclusive right to use the results found. The teams undertake to grant licences to third parties at standard market conditions. Details can be found in the Participation agreement.
SPRIND is committed to supporting innovators in implementing breakthrough innovations. If SPRIND identifies breakthrough innovation potential in the teams during the Challenge, their work can continue to be supported after the Challenge has ended.
The application deadline is 16 October 2022 at midnight CET.
A team of SPRIND experts makes a preliminary selection from the applications received. The final decision is made by the jury. The final decision on admission to the Challenge is made on the basis of the application and the pitch. The pitch shall take place during the selection conference in winter 2022 in Leipzig.
The Challenge has a total duration of 2.5 years. At the end of the one-year stage 1 of the Challenge, a further selection round takes place to determine which of the Challenge teams will also be funded by SPRIND in stage 2.
Applications beginning 30 August 2022 are only possible via the online application form. Applications must be submitted in English only.
All challenge teams are in close contact with SPRIND and the coaching team during the course of the challenge. This ensures a targeted innovation process in which emerging hurdles can be identified and addressed at an early stage. Furthermore, no detailed statements on the use of funding are required.
It is possible to participate in the challenge for both, individual participants as well as teams. Teams in all legal forms such as universities, non-university research institutions, established companies, start-ups and incubators can apply. It is also possible to form teams out of different entities.
Teams can participate if they are located in either the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, the United Kingdom or in Israel. Individual team members or cooperation partners can be located outside of this region.
Teams can participate if they are located in either the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, the United Kingdom or in Israel. Individual team members or cooperation partners can be located outside of this region.
Do you have any questions about the Challenge? Write to us at challenge@sprind.org.
Jano Costard, Challenge Officer