Skeleton Receives New Funding for Ultracapacitor Production Technology

Skeleton Technologies is a manufacturer of energy storage technologies and is the largest manufacturer of ultracapacitors in Europe. The company provides products and solutions for industrial, renewable energy, transportation, and automotive markets. 

Recently, the Estonia-born start-up received an additional €51 Million in funding to help push forward plans concerning the development of first-of-its-kind production technology for manufacturing its ultracapacitors. The funds were provided by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the Free State of Saxony within the framework of the European Battery Innovation (EuBatIn) Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI).

 

Image used courtesy of Skeleton 

 

Graphene-Based Technology

Skeleton’s ultracapacitors are made using its patented “curved-graphene”. Compared with other non-graphene-based super or ultracapacitors on the market, Skeleton’s curved-graphene ultracapacitor technology provides a high energy density (four times higher). This is enabled by the structure of the graphene material, which resists stacking when packed into an electrode structure. Skeleton’s SkelCap ultracapacitors are available at 2,85 V from 500 to 3200 Farad cells and come with a very low equivalent series resistance (ESR). This low ESR means that Skeleton’s ultracapacitor technology is highly durable with an application lifetime of up to 15+ years. 

 

Image used courtesy of Skeleton

 

Fully Automated Ultracapacitor Production

The funding provided by the BMWi and the Free State of Saxony will be used by Skeleton to create new production technology to fully automate the manufacturing of its ultracapacitors in its Großröhrsdorf factory. This will be industry-first and coupled with the use of Skeleton’s patented curved graphene-based technology, the company believes that the production costs of its ultracapacitors should fall by nearly 90%. 

In a recent news release, CEO and Co-founder of Skeleton, Taavi Madiberk, commented: “We are continuously investing in R&D – whether it is improving the performance of our products or the process in which we make those products. The next stage of our production will see an implementation of fully automated Industry 4.0 manufacturing techniques – a first-of-its-kind in the ultracapacitor industry. Coupled with our curved graphene material, we are able to dramatically decrease the cost of ultracapacitors. The ultracapacitor industry is in the same situation as lithium-ion batteries were in 1999, but our advancements in core technology and production capabilities will be able to show a cost reduction faster than for any other energy storage technology. We have a clear road map to lower it by almost 90% after completion of our 5 years project.”

In the same news release, CEO of EIT InnoEnergy in Germany, Christian Müller, explained that the income generated by the European battery industry will be integral in getting the continent’s economy back on track. Müller commented further: “The support through the new IPCEI will enable Skeleton to advance its market-leading ultracapacitor technology and contribute greatly in making Saxony an innovation hub for climate tech.”

Under the EuBatIn IPCEI, Skeleton is among 11 companies with sites in Germany that will be receiving support from BMWi for sustainability, development and innovation projects across the whole value chain. The other companies include CI Systems, Manz, Alumina Systems, BMW, Cellforce Group, ElringKlinger, Northvolt, SGL Carbon, Liofit, and Tesla.