The Silicon Anode
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https://thenextweb.com/news/dutch-battery-startup-silicon-anodes-eindhoven-leydenjar
Lithium-ion batteries have transformed everything from consumer electronics to electric vehicles and energy storage. But to power the next wave of tech — from planes to smartphones — they need to get denser.
One option is to replace the graphite anodes within them with silicon ones. Silicon anodes can store 10 times the amount of lithium ions that graphite can and they take up a lot less space. That means more efficient batteries that last longer.
Dutch startup LeydenJar has been touting the benefits for years. The company has bagged a healthy €100mn in funding to date — a vote of investor confidence in its wafer-thin pure silicon anodes. And today, the company announced the site for its first factory, scheduled to open in 2026.
Silicon Valley of the Netherlands
The facility, at Strijp-T in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, is set to produce 70 MWh of the anodes — enough for 4 million smartphone batteries. Other applications include high-density batteries in drones, wearables, and laptops.LeydenJar claims that batteries equipped with its anodes could charge a phone to 80% in less than seven minutes. And the tech could make laptop batteries 40% smaller, allowing for thinner designs. In drones, it could almost double the range.
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Not surprising that this technology will evolve. Someone here posted a graph of battery power and time to recharge vs. calendar dates. Over time, more power and less recharge time.
The trend will only continue.
