SOLIDBAT to Drive Development of Next-Generation Solid-State Battery Technology for Large-Scale Production

CIDETEC joins a pioneering project set to deliver higher-energy-density solid-state batteries with enhanced safety and a lower environmental footprint.

Funded by the European Union under its Horizon Europe programme, the SOLIDBAT project aims to develop a disruptive technology in the solid-state battery sector designed to facilitate large-scale production and meet the demanding requirements of the automotive industry.

SOLIDBAT will focus on developing and optimising high-energy-density solid-state batteries (400 Wh/kg, 1000 Wh/L), which promise greater autonomy, improved safety, and suitability for the automotive sector’s evolving needs.

As highlighted at the launch meeting the development of the project involves innovation across five key areas: new digital tools and models for material development and cell parameter design; a high-capacity, water-processable, nickel-rich Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt cathode material; a high-energy, 3D-textured lithium metal anode coated with an artificial protective interface; a highly conductive and electrochemically stable gel polymer electrolyte; and viable manufacturing solutions for this technology, taking current lithium-ion battery production lines as a reference.

CIDETEC Energy Storage will play a key role in the development of solid-state batteries, contributing its experience in both experimental research and modelling. In the field of material development, CIDETEC Energy Storage will focus on producing optimised high-loading cathodes using environmentally friendly techniques, refining and validating formulations at the laboratory scale, and scaling up production to a pilot plant level for the manufacture of high-capacity pouch type cells.

Additionally, CIDETEC Energy Storage will implement advanced characterisation techniques, including the development of in-operando optical microscopy to monitor lithium deposition—a crucial step in identifying and mitigating failure mechanisms in solid-state batteries with lithium metal anodes. It will also work on extracting key parameters for model validation, improving the accuracy of simulations.

In the area of modelling CIDETEC Energy Storage will develop a chemo-mechanical model to better understand the interfaces between solid electrolytes and electrodes, and will contribute to a multi-prophy framework to predict battery performance. This approach will provide key insights for the design of the next generation of solid-state lithium batteries.

One of the key advantages of this technology is its potential to minimise environmental impact by reducing the use of critical raw materials and eliminating toxic PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances), while also enabling more sustainable production processes. In this way, SOLIDBAT will contribute to the transition towards climate-neutral energy and transport, as well as avoiding dependence on raw material supplies from non-EU countries.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that SOLIDBAT builds on the progress achieved over the past four years in the SAFELiMOVE project, another initiative led by CIC energiGUNE. SAFELiMOVE focused on the development of a new generation of solid-electrolyte-based batteries for electric vehicles, aiming to create a safer, more reliable, and high-performance lithium battery. The work carried out in SAFELiMOVE was instrumental in successfully advancing three fundamental aspects: the development of advanced materials, the analysis and optimisation of interfaces, and the scalability of solid-state technology towards various prototypes.

El consorcio SOLIDBAT incluye a 13 reconocidas entidades europeas y una canadiense, abarcando toda la cadena de valor de las baterías y fomentando la innovación europea y el crecimiento de la industria. Bajo el liderazgo y la coordinación de CIC energiGUNE, el resto de entidades socias de SOLIDBAT son: Inobat Auto JSA (Eslovaquia), SCHOTT AG (Alemania), Hydro-Quebec (Canadá), Specific Polymers SAS (Francia), Ampere SAS (Francia), Toyota Motor Europe (Bélgica), Life Cycle Engineering SpA (Italia), Eurida (Austria), Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et Aux Énergies (Francia), CIDETEC Energy Storage (España), RWTH Aachen University (Alemania), Technical University Braunschweig (Alemania) y Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC (Alemania).