243. From EVs to BESS: Why capital is flowing to batteries - Aug26

Recorded at the SolarPower Summit in Brussels this conversation between Laurent Segalen and Jonathan Gifford examines why batteries have become one of the fastest growing and most strategically important technologies shaping the global energy transition. Jonathan Gifford is the co-founder of Climate Copy and a wonderful storyteller.  Laurent unpacks how rapid battery innovation is transforming electric mobility, renewable energy markets, charging infrastructure, and the future operation of electricity grids.  It has been only nine years since Hornsdale (Tesla – South Australia) 100MW-130MWh made of EV batteries cracked the code. Six months later in China the Jiangsu Zhenjiang first 100MW LFP battery was installed. In Europe and the US, the first large LFP batteries were installed in 2021-2022. Now, LFP has a 95% market share in BESS around the world. For EVs, it is 55% LFP – 45% NMC (80% in China).  By the end of 2026, we will reach 500GW globally and great forecasters like Jan Rosenow expect 1,000GW by 2030. We see longer duration and the advent of sodium batteries.  Laurent outlines why electrification is entering a new phase of acceleration. He highlights how falling battery costs, rapid improvements in electric vehicle technology, and the widening economic gap between electricity and fossil fuels are reshaping expectations across the transport sector. This shift is not limited to passenger cars; it increasingly extends to commercial fleets and heavy-duty trucking, where electric trucks are becoming more competitive thanks to lower operating costs, reduced maintenance needs, and improving charging infrastructure.  He also discusses the growing importance of stationary battery storage in enabling high-power EV charging, increasing grid flexibility, and supporting higher penetration of renewable energy.  Finally, he explained why Hydrogen will never work in long haul transportation. Simply too expensive.