Estonia’s Skeleton Technologies launches SuperBattery, announces partnership with Shell

Tallinn-based Skeleton Technologies, a company that manufactures and develops high-energy and power-density ultracapacitors, announced on Wednesday the launch of a SuperBattery and unveiled Shell as its partner. 

According to the Estonian company, it is joining a group led by Shell to provide electricity options for mining locations.

About Skeleton Technologies

Founded in 2009 by Oliver Ahlberg and Taavi Madiberk, Skeleton Technologies is a manufacturer and developer of high-energy and power-density ultracapacitors based on a patented curved graphene material. Through the use of nanoporous carbide-derived carbon, or ‘curved graphene’, the company claims to have achieved breakthroughs in ultracapacitor performance.

The company says it delivers its solutions across industries, including automotive, transportation, grid, and industrial applications. Its ultracapacitors deliver twice the energy density and four times the power density offered by other manufacturers.

By producing ultracapacitor cells, modules, and systems, Skeleton Technologies aim to help companies to reduce CO2 emissions and save energy.

Skeleton Technologies Group has four main locations – manufacturing in Großröhrsdorf, sales in Berlin, materials development in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, and electrical engineering and module development in Tallinn, Estonia. In 2024, the company will open the largest supercapacitor factory in the world in Markranstädt, Germany.

Everything you need to know about SuperBattery

The technology known as SuperBattery combines the advantages of batteries and supercapacitors. SuperBattery was created in order to meet the demands of many industries. It is now being utilised and/or tested in fuel cell and hybrid electric vehicles, buses, trucks, and charging infrastructure.

Taavi Madiberk, CEO and co-founder of Skeleton Technologies, says, “Skeleton goes after the high-power part of the energy storage market and we estimate the addressable market size to be €95B. Now, the key is to move ahead with the scale-up and we aim to develop our business around SuperBattery through key partners such as Shell.”

According to Skeleton Technologies, the best strategy to minimise operating emissions in mining is through electrification and renewable energy sources. For the mining sector, electrification of heavy-duty applications is both a requirement and a significant difficulty.

Grischa Sauerberg, Vice President of ​Sectoral Decarbonisation and Innovation​ at Shell, says, “The challenge of decarbonisation is immense, but not impossible – providing collaboration and innovation go hand in hand at all times. We are proud to work alongside Skeleton – and our consortium members – to develop a new pilot offering of electrification solutions for off-road vehicles and to demonstrate how partnership and close collaboration can help mining businesses meet their environmental goals. Skeleton’s technology, providing ultrafast charging at ~< 90 seconds, means the solution can help mining companies reduce emissions without compromising on efficiency.”

What do Shell’s mining electrification solutions offer?

A nine-member group will present Shell’s Mining Electrification Solutions for off-road vehicles, and were chosen from more than 350 entries as one of the eight winners of the mining industry’s “Charge On Innovation Challenge” in May 2022.

The solution is an end-to-end and interoperable electrification system that reduces emissions without sacrificing efficiency or safety, and aims to be cost-competitive versus diesel-powered operations. The pilot programme combines Skeleton’s new SuperBattery with ultra-fast charging, in-vehicle energy storage, power provisioning, and microgrids.

In comparison to conventional Lithium-ion batteries, Skeleton’s Curved Graphene material enables 100x quicker charging. This means, SuperBattery, which is used in off-road vehicles, can be charged in under a minute, necessitating far less daily charging time — less than an hour as opposed to 6.5 hours — than a lithium-ion battery. This allows for more mining time and less charging time.

Also, SuperBattery has 50,000 life cycles and is free from Cobalt, Copper, Nickel, and Graphite. Additionally, even when crushed, overheated, or punctured, it is far safer than a lithium-ion battery, says Skeleton.

SuperBattery mass production is planned from 2024.

About Shell Mining

Shell provides cleaner energy solutions in collaboration with international businesses to accelerate the transition to net-zero emissions. Its aim is to combat climate change set forth in the UN Paris Agreement — to limit the increase in average world temperature to 1.5° Celsius. It is supported by its objective to become a net-zero business by 2050.

Shell established the Shell Sectors & Decarbonisation (S&D) division to aid in the transformation of industries. This is made up of teams with specialised industry experience that assist businesses operating in challenging sectors to prevent, minimise, and mitigate their emissions. Shell S&D collaborates with these clients to fulfil their changing demands while offering the goods and solutions needed today.