Sodium-ion batteries – a viable various to lithium? – pv journal Worldwide

From pv journal print version 3/24

Sodium ion batteries are present process a essential interval of commercialization as industries from automotive to power storage wager huge on the know-how. Established battery producers and newcomers are jostling to get from lab to fab with a viable various to lithium ion. With the latter customary for electrical mobility and stationary storage, new know-how should supply confirmed benefits. Sodium ion appears properly positioned, with superior security, uncooked materials prices, and environmental credentials.

Sodium ion units don’t want essential supplies, counting on plentiful sodium as a substitute of lithium, and no cobalt or nickel. As lithium ion costs rose in 2022, amid predictions of fabric shortages, sodium ion was tipped as a rival and curiosity stays sturdy, at the same time as lithium ion costs have began to fall once more.

“We’re at the moment monitoring 335.4 GWh of sodium ion cell manufacturing capability out to 2030, highlighting that there’s nonetheless appreciable dedication to the know-how,” stated Evan Hartley, senior analyst at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

In Might 2023, the London-based marketing consultant had tracked 150 GWh to 2030.

Cheaper

Sodium ion cells, produced at scale, could possibly be 20% to 30% cheaper than lithium ferro/iron-phosphate (LFP), the dominant stationary storage battery know-how, primarily because of plentiful sodium and low extraction and purification prices. Sodium ion batteries can use aluminum for the anode present collector as a substitute of copper – utilized in lithium ion – additional decreasing prices and provide chain dangers. These financial savings are nonetheless potential, nevertheless.

“Earlier than sodium ion batteries can problem present lead acid and lithium iron phosphate batteries, trade gamers might want to scale back the know-how’s price by bettering technical efficiency, establishing provide chains, and attaining economies of scale,” stated Shazan Siddiqi, senior know-how analyst at United Kingdom-based market analysis firm IDTechEx. “Na-ion’s price benefit is just achievable when the dimensions of manufacturing reaches a producing scale corresponding to lithium ion battery cells. Additionally, an extra worth drop of lithium carbonate might scale back the value benefit sodium gives.”

Sodium ion is unlikely to supplant lithium ion in functions prioritizing excessive efficiency, and can as a substitute be used for stationary storage and micro electrical autos. S&P World analysts count on lithium ion to provide 80% of the battery market by 2030, with 90% of these units based mostly on LFP. Sodium ion might make up 10% of the market.

Proper selections

Researchers have thought-about sodium ion for the reason that mid-Twentieth century and up to date developments embrace enhancements in storage capability and gadget life cycle, in addition to new anode and cathode supplies. Sodium ions are bulkier than lithium counterparts, so sodium ion cells have decrease voltage in addition to decrease gravimetric and volumetric power density.

Sodium ion gravimetric power density is at the moment round 130 Wh/kg to 160 Wh/kg, however is anticipated to prime 200 Wh/kg in future, above the theoretical restrict for LFP units. In energy density phrases, nevertheless, sodium ion batteries might have 1 kW/kg, larger than nickel-manganese-cobalt’s (NMC) 340W/kg to 420 W/kg and LFP’s 175 W/kg to 425 W/kg.

Whereas a sodium ion gadget lifetime of 100 to 1,000 cycles is decrease than LFP, Indian developer KPIT has reported a lifespan with 80% capability retention for six,000 cycles – depending on cell chemistry – corresponding to lithium ion units.

“There may be nonetheless no single successful chemistry inside sodium ion batteries,” stated IDTechEx’s Siddiqi. “A number of R&D efforts are being undertaken to seek out the right anode/cathode energetic materials that permits scalability past the lab stage.”

Referring to United States-based security science group Underwriter Laboratories, Siddiqi added that “UL standardization for sodium ion cells is, subsequently, nonetheless some time away and this makes OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] hesitant to decide to such a know-how.”

Prussian white, polyanion, and layered oxide are cathode candidates that includes cheaper supplies than lithium ion counterparts. The previous, utilized by Northvolt and CATL, is broadly obtainable and low-cost however has comparatively low volumetric power density. United Kingdom-based firm Faradion makes use of layered oxide, which guarantees larger power density however is affected by capability fade over time. France’s Tiamat makes use of polyanion, which is extra secure however options poisonous vanadium.

“The vast majority of cell producers planning sodium ion battery capability might be utilizing layered oxide cathode know-how,” stated Benchmark’s Hartly. “In reality, 71% of the [cell] pipeline is layered oxide. Equally, 90.8% of the sodium ion cathode pipeline is layered oxide.”

Whereas cathodes are the important thing price driver for lithium ion, the anode is the most costly element in sodium ion batteries. Laborious carbon is the usual selection for sodium ion anodes however manufacturing capability lags behind that of sodium ion cells, ramping up costs. Laborious carbon supplies have lately been derived from numerous precursors equivalent to animal waste, sewage sludge, glucose, cellulose, wooden, coal and petroleum derivatives. Artificial graphite, a typical lithium ion anode materials, depends virtually solely on the latter two precursors. With its creating provide chain, onerous carbon is extra pricey than graphite and represents one of many key hurdles in sodium ion cell manufacturing.

Partially mitigating larger prices, sodium ion batteries exhibit higher temperature tolerance, significantly in sub zero circumstances. They’re safer than lithium ion, as they are often discharged to zero volts, decreasing danger throughout transportation and disposal. Lithium ion batteries are sometimes saved at round 30% cost. Sodium ion has much less fireplace danger, as its electrolytes have the next flashpoint – the minimal temperature at which a chemical can vaporize to type an ignitable combination with air. With each chemistries that includes comparable construction and dealing rules, sodium ion can usually be dropped in to lithium ion manufacturing traces and tools.

In reality, the world’s main battery maker CATL is integrating sodium ion into its lithium ion infrastructure and merchandise. Its first sodium ion battery, launched in 2021, had an power density of 160 Wh/kg, with a promised 200 Wh/kg sooner or later. In 2023, CATL stated Chinese language automaker Chery can be the primary to make use of its sodium ion batteries. CATL advised pv journal late in 2023 that it has developed a primary trade chain for sodium ion batteries and established mass manufacturing. Manufacturing scale and shipments will rely on buyer mission implementation, stated CATL, including that extra must be completed for the massive scale business rollout of sodium ion. “We hope that the entire trade will work collectively to advertise the event of sodium ion batteries,” stated the battery maker.

Cost to sodium

In January 2024, China’s greatest carmaker and second-biggest battery provider, BYD, stated it had began building of a CNY 10 billion ($1.4 billion), 30 GWh per yr sodium ion battery manufacturing unit. The output will energy “micromobility” units. HiNa, spun out of the Chinese language Academy of Sciences, in December 2022 had commissioned a gigawatt-hour-scale sodium ion battery manufacturing line and introduced a Na-ion battery product vary and electrical automobile prototype.

European battery maker Northvolt unveiled 160 Wh/kg-validated sodium ion battery cells in November 2023. Developed with Altris – spun out of Uppsala College, in Sweden – the know-how might be used within the firm’ next-generation power storage gadget. Northvolt’s present providing is predicated on NMC chemistry. On the launch, Wilhelm Löwenhielm, Northvolt senior director of enterprise improvement for power storage methods, stated the corporate needs a battery that’s aggressive with LFP at scale. “Over time, the know-how is anticipated to surpass LFP considerably by way of cost-competitiveness,” he stated.

Northvolt needs a “plug-and-play” battery for quick market entry and scale-up. “Key actions for bringing this specific know-how to market are scaling the availability chain for battery-grade supplies, which Northvolt is at the moment doing, along with companions,” stated Löwenhielm.

Smaller gamers are additionally doing their bit to deliver sodium ion know-how to commercialization. Faradion, which was acquired by Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries in 2021, says it’s now transferring its next-generation cell design to manufacturing. “We’ve got developed a brand new cell know-how and footprint with 20% larger power density, and elevated cycle-life by a 3rd in comparison with our earlier cell design,” stated Faradion Chief Govt Officer (CEO) James Quinn.

The corporate’s first-generation cells demonstrated an power density of 160 Wh/kg. In 2022, Quinn stated that Reliance’s plan was to construct a double-digit-gigawatt sodium ion manufacturing unit in India. For now, it appears that evidently these plans are nonetheless in place. In August 2023, Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani advised the corporate’s annual shareholder assembly that the enterprise is “targeted on fast-track commercialization of our sodium ion battery know-how … We are going to construct on our know-how management by industrializing sodium ion cell manufacturing at a megawatt degree by 2025 and quickly construct as much as gigascale thereafter,” he stated.

Manufacturing

Startup Tiamat has moved ahead on its plans to start out building of a 5 GWh manufacturing plant in France’s Hauts-de-France area. In January 2024, it raised €30 million ($32.4 million) in fairness and debt financing and stated that it expects to finish the financing of its industrial mission within the coming months, bringing the overall financing to round €150 million. The corporate, a derivative from the French Nationwide Centre for Scientific Analysis, will initially manufacture sodium ion cells for energy instruments and stationary storage functions in its manufacturing unit, “to meet the primary orders which have already been acquired.” It would later goal scaled-up manufacturing of second-generation merchandise for battery electrical automobile functions.

In the US, trade gamers are additionally ramping up their commercialization efforts. In January 2024, Acculon Vitality introduced sequence manufacturing of its sodium ion battery modules and packs for mobility and stationary power storage functions and unveiled plans to scale its manufacturing to 2 GWh by mid-2024. In the meantime, Natron Vitality, a derivative out of Stanford College, supposed to start out mass-producing its sodium ion batteries in 2023. Its aim was to make 600 MW of sodium ion cells at battery producer Clarios Worldwide’s exiting lithium ion Meadowbrook facility, in Michigan. Updates on progress have been restricted, nevertheless.

Funding

In October 2023, Peak Vitality emerged with $10 million in funding and a administration workforce comprising ex-Northvolt, Enovix, Tesla, and SunPower executives. The corporate stated it’ll initially import battery cells and that was not anticipated to alter till early 2028. “You want round a billion {dollars} for a small scale gigawatt manufacturing unit – assume lower than 10 GW,” Peak Vitality CEO Landon Mossburg stated on the launch. “So the quickest method to get to market is to construct a system with cells obtainable from a 3rd get together, and China is the one place constructing capability to ship sufficient cells.” Ultimately, the corporate hopes to qualify for home content material credit underneath the US Inflation Discount Act.

Some suppliers, equivalent to India’s KPIT, have entered the house with none manufacturing plans. The automotive software program and engineering options enterprise unveiled its sodium ion battery know-how in December 2023 and launched into a seek for manufacturing companions. Ravi Pandit, chairman of KPIT, stated that the corporate has developed a number of variants with power density starting from 100 Wh/kg to 170 Wh/kg, and doubtlessly reaching 220 Wh/kg.

“After we began work on sodium ion batteries, the preliminary expectation of power density was fairly low,” he stated. “However during the last eight years the power density has been going up due to the developments that we and different firms have been finishing up.” Others are looking out for provide partnerships. Final yr, Finnish know-how group Wärtsilä – one of many world’s main battery power storage system integrators – stated that it was searching for potential partnerships or acquisitions within the discipline. On the time, it was shifting towards testing the know-how in its analysis services. “Our workforce stays dedicated to pursuing new alternatives by way of diversifying power storage applied sciences, equivalent to incorporating sodium ion batteries into our future stationary power storage options,” stated Amy Liu, director of strategic options improvement at Wärtsilä Vitality Storage and Optimization, in February 2024.

Nearshoring alternative

Following many mass-production bulletins, sodium ion batteries at the moment are on the make-or-break level and investor curiosity will decide the know-how’s destiny. IDTechEx’s market evaluation, carried out in November 2023, suggests anticipated development of a minimum of 40 GWh by 2030, with a further 100 GWh of producing capability hinging in the marketplace’s success by 2025.

“These projections assume an impending increase within the [sodium ion battery] trade, which depends upon business dedication inside the subsequent few years,” stated Siddiqi.

Sodium ion might supply one more alternative to near-shore clear power provide chains, with the required uncooked supplies so available throughout the globe. It seems that prepare has already left the station, nevertheless.

“As with the early levels of the lithium ion battery market, the primary bottleneck for the worldwide trade would be the dominance of China,” stated Benchmark’s Hartley. “As of 2023, 99.4% of sodium ion cell capability was based mostly in China and this determine is just forecast to fall to 90.6% by 2030. As coverage in Europe and North America seeks to shift lithium ion battery provide chains away from China, as a result of reliance on its home manufacturing, so too will a shift be wanted within the sodium ion market to create localized provide chains.”