đ HighMag: Next-generation magnesium batteries for a greener future
As Europe accelerates its decarbonisation and electrification efforts, the demand for advanced energy storage is soaring. While lithium-ion batteries dominate todayâs market, they face major challenges: raw material scarcity, safety concerns, recyclability issues, and environmental costs. Enter HighMag â an EU-funded Horizon Europe project (HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-02-02) a common initiative between the Austrian Institute Of Technology (AIT) who is coordinating the project and Efund. The project was submitted in 2024 and launched in 2025.
HighMag aims to develop Generation 5 rechargeable magnesium batteries â a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries that combines higher safety, sustainability, and affordability with Europeâs need for strategic autonomy. By focusing on two breakthrough chemistries â magnesium-sulphur (Mg-S) and magnesium-metal â the project will push rechargeable magnesium batteries from TRL 2 to TRL 4, validating them at pilot line scale.
These batteries will:
- Deliver higher energy density (up to 515 Wh/kg and 880 Wh/l), with fast charging and long cycle life.
- Use abundant, low-cost raw materials like magnesium and sulphur, reducing dependence on lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
- Apply Safe and Sustainable by Design principles, with attention to recyclability, circularity, and integration of plastic waste and biomass in cathode materials.
- Be compatible with existing lithium-ion battery manufacturing infrastructure, ensuring scalability and faster industrial adoption.
HighMag will also pioneer a powder-based magnesium anode, cutting costs and enabling aqueous processing, while exploring innovative PFAS-free electrolytes and recyclable designs. The projectâs approach could redefine battery safety standards â achieving EUCAR level 3 for automotive and even targeting aviation and maritime applications.
With 13 partners across 9 countries, spanning research institutions, universities, and industry, HighMag represents a crucial leap toward Europeâs battery independence, competitiveness, and sustainability. Its outcomes will strengthen the EUâs clean energy transition, power the next generation of electric mobility, and contribute to the European Green Deal goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
More information about the project will soon be available on the HighMag website and the European Commission website.