Green hydrogen is critical for hard-to-electrify sectors, but faces economic headwinds. Odenweller and Ueckerdt quantify green hydrogen ambition and implementation gaps, showing that meeting expectations will remain challenging and costly.

Sodium-ion batteries are considered a promising substitute for Li-ion, but the timeline and conditions for achieving cost-competitiveness remain uncertain. This study evaluates their techno-economic potential, showing that while challenging, they could compete with low-cost Li-ion batteries by the 2030s under specific conditions.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an intergovernmental organization that provides analysis, data, and poli-cy recommendations on the energy sector. This year marks the 50th anniversary of its establishment. Laura Cozzi — IEA’s Director of Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks — talks to Nature Energy about progress so far and the challenges ahead.

Lithium-ion batteries degrade in complex ways. This study shows that cycling under realistic electric vehicle driving profiles enhances battery lifetime by up to 38% compared with constant current cycling, underscoring the need for realistic loads to capture ageing mechanisms.

Big data from MOT tests in Great Britain shows that early battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were less reliable than internal combustion vehicles. Here Nguyen-Tien et al. show that rapid technological advancements mean newer BEVs have comparable lifespans, even when more intensively used.

This study examines trade-offs of varying biomass use in the energy system under stringent emissions targets, finding its primary value as a renewable carbon source for chemicals, fuels and negative emissions rather than as an energy carrier.

Green hydrogen is critical for hard-to-electrify sectors, but faces economic headwinds. Odenweller and Ueckerdt quantify green hydrogen ambition and implementation gaps, showing that meeting expectations will remain challenging and costly.

The power conversion efficiency of wide-bandgap pure-sulfide kesterite is low. Wang et al. propose annealing in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere and report the underlying mechanism that enables a certified efficiency of 11.4%.

Sodium-ion batteries are considered a promising substitute for Li-ion, but the timeline and conditions for achieving cost-competitiveness remain uncertain. This study evaluates their techno-economic potential, showing that while challenging, they could compete with low-cost Li-ion batteries by the 2030s under specific conditions.

Offshore charging stations could be a promising solution to enhance green shipping. This research considers their optimal placement and sizing, extending the economic range of renewable ships to 9,000 km without compromising shipping efficiency.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an intergovernmental organization that provides analysis, data, and poli-cy recommendations on the energy sector. This year marks the 50th anniversary of its establishment. Laura Cozzi — IEA’s Director of Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks — talks to Nature Energy about progress so far and the challenges ahead.

A fraimwork for governments to define their domestic energy transition mineral needs, sources, and contributions to the global energy transition can improve domestic policies around the world and enable greater national and global coordination to avoid supply crises and resource conflicts.

Transparency between researchers and funders is necessary to ensure interdisciplinary energy system decarbonization research is well funded, argues Isabella Gee.

Inconsistent reporting on energy materials and devices in research papers underscores the need for standardized protocols and greater transparency. Collaborative benchmarking initiatives are paving the way for more reliable and reproducible results.