The POLiS (Post Lithium Storage) Cluster of Excellence has once again prevailed in the competition and will receive funding as POLIS II for another seven years starting in 2026.

Within the cluster, new battery materials and technology concepts for efficient and sustainable storage of electrical energy will be developed. The focus is on identified sustainable alternatives that do not rely on lithium and other critical materials: batteries based on sodium, magnesium, calcium, aluminium, and chloride ions. These so-called post-lithium batteries have the potential to store more energy, be safer, and offer a more cost-effective, long-term option for mass applications such as stationary and mobile electrochemical storage.

ITAS is responsible for the Research Area C: Sustainability. In the early stages of new material development, simplified methods and indicators will be applied to allow for an adequate assessment procedure, e.g., to support the screening of different material options. Such approaches also influence the design process by including sustainability aspects in the design phase, or can even support specific optimization strategies (e.g., “design for recycling”), embracing the “safe and sustainable by design” concept. Putting the wider concept of RRI and CTA into practice requires a better understanding and anticipation of the potential impacts, risks, and options of the respective technology, but also of the interrelations with different stakeholders and society. The latter implies a good understanding of the visions and expectations of different stakeholders, which will be fostered by creating “spaces” for interaction and discussion. Furthermore, there is a need for ex-ante assessment strategies that enable the identification and prioritization of key technology characteristics and provide a broader basis for decision making, actor involvement, early warning, and ultimately the selection and support of technology. For technology assessment, the so-called “Collingridge dilemma” need to be addressed, which states that in the early stages of technology development, control options are plentiful, but hard to choose from, while at later stages this is reversed. Against this background, sustainability assessment methods (e.g., LCA, P-LCA, S-LCA, LCC, MCDA) must be further developed, adapted, and possibly simplified for the prospective approach in order to support sustainability-oriented design in all development stages of emerging battery technologies.

Project website: https://www.postlithiumstorage.org/en/

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