6 MARKET NEWS Issue 4 2023 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com Exhibition space for PCIM grows PCIM Europe 2024 Exhibition will occupy more space, with exhibition stands in four halls. The exhibition and conference takes place between 11 to 13 June 2024 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center. The additional hall for PCIM Europe 2024 reflects this increasing demand, says Messe Messago. The extra space will support the event’s continuous growth, increase the variety of products and services presented, and drive further development of power electronics, says the show organiser. Messe Messago adds that visitors to PCIM Europe can look forward to an even more extensive range of products and services as well as further networking opportunities. www.pcim-europe.com According to Dr Alex Holland (pictured), Principal Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, the next generation of silicon anode materials is inching closer to commercialisation as energy density and rate capability improve. There are contenders for the crown currently held by graphite, which has good overall performance and which is low in cost. While graphite is predicted to maintain its dominance in the Li-ion industry, there is also lithium metal and anode-free materials to consider. Other options, such as niobium oxides, have also garnered some interest for fast-charging batteries. Graphite is expected to remain the most widely used anode material for the medium term and Li-ion graphite anodes will continue to grow and exceed 2m tonnes by 2029. The graphite used for Li-ion anodes are either natural or synthetic. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, says Holland. Natural graphite is generally a lower-cost option than synthetic with a higher initial capacity but also a lower cycle life, C-rate capability and initial coulombic efficiency. Synthetic graphite is more expensive and more difficult to mill into spherical particles. It also tends to offer longer cycle life and marginally higher initial coulombic efficiency. The output of natural graphite has proven challenging. The US DoE and the European Commission have included natural graphite in their latest critical raw materials/minerals lists due in part to Li-ion batteries’ important role in transport electrification and stationary storage applications. China’s dominance of graphite anode production also presents a supply risk, though Li-ion graphite anode production outside of China is starting to develop from players such as Syrah Resources, Northern Graphite, and Nouveau Monde in North America, or Talga Resources, SGL Carbon and Vianode (synthetic) in Europe, amongst others. www.IDTechEx.com/lithium Research examines next-gen silicon anode technologies
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