The first Plenary Meeting of the New Generation Storage (NGS) Project was held at the INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, in Braga, on the 11^th of December 2023.

The project will contribute to enhance the battery sector in Portugal, focusing on its entire value chain. The event was an opportunity to gather members of the NGS consortium to discuss several topics related to the battery sector, green mobility and the development of a battery value chain and ecosystem in Portugal. The main goal was to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences among the partners, fostering collective learning and growth of the NGS consortium.

The session included panel discussions and presentations for the seven pillars of the project, detailed below:

I. Valorisation and Advanced Refining, aiming to install a large refinery focused on sustainable refining and valorisation processes, in order to implement an innovative and improved industrial line for lithium processing, through a sustainable technology, based on membrane electrolysis.

II. Cell, Modules and Components, aiming to install and operate manufacturing lines of cells and modules, and develop new, safer and more sustainable electrodes, electrolytes and other components.

III. Battery Pack Assembly, focusing on the installation of three assembly lines for stationary batteries and batteries for the automotive industry. The goal is also to study the integration of cabling, connectors and coating, energy management systems and control electronics, as well as the design and development of the proposed product.

IV. Integration and Applications, related specifically to the connection of batteries to the grid for electricity network management, their use for different purposes (e.g. residential, commercial and industrial), and the integration of batteries in fast charging stations and in vehicles.

V. Recycling and Second Life, focusing on the recycling of battery materials and components, battery disassembly and second life batteries. The goal is to enable the re-use of recycled materials as new inputs of the value chain, creating a sustainable circular ecosystem.

VI. Training and Advanced Courses, a pillar transversal to the entire NGS project aiming to train human resources in the companies involved in the NGS, as well as providing highly specialized training for future master's and doctoral students, promoting technical and university qualifications in companies. 

VII. Technology Platform, aiming to develop and implement a Technology Platform, which will support the Portuguese industry in positioning itself as an important international player in the battery sector, supporting market innovation along the entire value chain.

R&D Nester is mainly involved in the pillar IV "Integration and applications", by addressing the system and market integration of distributed storage within the Business Project "Optimized distributed storage for energy communities".

This Business Project, designed in collaboration with CleanWatts and Instituto Superior Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), aims at achieving the following specific objectives:

1. Development and validation under real world conditions of the integration of decentralised batteries in Energy Communities and, furthermore, in the national energy system and markets;

2. Management of distributed energy storage systems by a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Management Platform;

3. Strengthen partners' positions in the Energy Storage and Energy Communities sectors, in Portugal and abroad.

The event in Braga presented a chance for in-person brainstorming and discussion among the three partners, in preparation to the next steps of the Business Project.

For more information:

NGS Project @ R&D Nester website