blog

By Dr. Oscar Miguel | Deputy Director at CIDETEC Energy Storage

In recent years, the electrification of transport has become a key element in achieving the decarbonization goals set by the European Union. However, alongside technological progress, doubts and misconceptions have emerged regarding battery safety. It’s time to clarify: batteries are safe, and at CIDETEC Energy Storage we work every day to make them even safer. Like any other energy solution, however, they must be handled with the proper measures.

The data is clear: fires in electric vehicles are extremely rare—up to 20 times less likely than in internal combustion vehicles. So why does the opposite perception persist? The answer lies in the media attention these cases receive, even though most do not originate in the battery itself but rather from external factors such as accidents or failures in other systems.

Lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology is intrinsically complex and, like any energy system, involves risks. However, thanks to continuous improvements in materials, cells, modules, and complete battery packs, a very high level of safety has been achieved. At CIDETEC, we work across this entire value chain, focusing on essentially safe technologies like LFP and, at the same time, improving the safety of NMC technologies and investing in solid-state batteries and other emerging technologies that will make the batteries of the future even safer.

Another fundamental pillar is intelligent monitoring. We integrate advanced sensors capable of detecting anomalies before they become a problem, allowing for preventive action. This predictive capability, combined with thermal propagation models that simulate heat behavior inside the cell, enables us to design safer and more reliable batteries.

Our BMS (Battery Management Systems) monitor voltage and temperature in real time, detect end-of-life before critical degradation occurs, and comply with the R100 (revision 3) standard, which requires at least a five-minute warning in the event of a risk situation. In addition, advanced algorithms have been developed based on new indicators that allow for diagnosis of the State of Safety at the cell level. This provides early warnings and the activation of mitigation measures.

We design lightweight yet resistant structures, based on FEM simulations and experimental testing, that protect cells against impacts and prevent contact that could cause explosions in the event of a collision.
Ultimately, safety is not an optional attribute—it is the foundation upon which electric mobility is built. Batteries are not only safe, but they will become increasingly so thanks to research and collaboration between industry and technology centers. And at CIDETEC, we are proud to be leading this path.

By Dr. Ainhoa Fernández, Energy Materials Unit

Under the coordination of CIDETEC Energy Storage, the European project TALISSMAN (Technologies for Advanced Lithium-Sulfur batteries toward Safe and Sustainable Mobility Applications) has been launched. This ambitious initiative aims to develop next-generation lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries capable of offering higher energy density, lower cost, greater safety, and a significantly reduced environmental footprint, with funding of €4.9 million.

Lithium-sulfur batteries represent a promising alternative to current lithium-ion technologies due to their potential to reach energy densities of up to 400–600 Wh/kg, reduce the use of critical materials such as cobalt, as well as manufacturing costs. However, their commercial viability has been limited by various technical challenges, such as short lifespan, instability of active materials, safety issues, and large-scale manufacturing barriers.

The TALISSMAN project focuses on the design, validation, and scale-up of two new Generation 5 battery concepts: a quasi-solid configuration (Gen2027) based on gel-type formulations, and a fully solid configuration (Gen2030), which includes sulfur-based solid electrolytes. The goal of both configurations is to improve thermal stability and reduce the flammability of the electrolyte. Both variants are aimed at high energy-demand applications such as heavy-duty transport, electric aviation, and the automotive sector of the future. In addition, the project will explore the use of 3D-structured lithium anodes supported on conductive carbon networks, which are expected to enhance lithium distribution, improve mechanical stability, and reduce the risk of dendrite formation. Through this approach, TALISSMAN is committed to the development of high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries, targeting energy densities of up to 550 Wh/kg and a cycle life of 700 full cycles, all while reducing costs to below €75/kWh by 2030. TALISSMAN has the potential to establish Europe as a leader in cutting-edge energy storage technologies, paving the way for large-scale industrialization thanks to its compatibility with existing lithium-ion production lines.

CIDETEC Energy Storage’s contribution: innovation in materials and cell design:

• Development of gel-type electrolytes: Quasi-solid formulations with high ionic conductivity and low flammability, aimed at improving the safety and thermal stability of the system.

• Design of polymer-based sulfur cathodes: These allow for improved retention of active sulfur and mitigation of the polysulfide shuttle effect, one of the main challenges of Li–S technology.

• Multiscale modeling of electrodes and cells: Predictive tools to accelerate material validation, scaling, and cell optimization.

• Manufacturing and validation of multilayer prototypes at pilot scale, including advanced electrochemical testing under conditions relevant to their future industrial application.

Additionally, CIDETEC will actively participate in the environmental sustainability assessment of the prototypes developed throughout the project, as well as in their techno-economic analysis and the development of eco-design guidelines. All of this aims to reduce production costs and integrate efficient and sustainable resources throughout the entire cell development process.

Together with CIDETEC Energy Storage, the TALISSMAN consortium includes AIRBUS Operations S.L., which will provide specifications and validation for aeronautical applications; ARKEMA France SA, with expertise in polymeric and functional materials; Fraunhofer Gesellschaft and Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, which will contribute advanced capabilities in characterization and materials science; Politecnico di Torino, in charge of conducting the sustainability analysis; SAFT, an industrial benchmark in battery production; TECNALIA, which will develop materials for anodes; and Sustainable Innovations Europe, responsible for the project’s communication, exploitation, and dissemination activities.