UC San Diego spin-off firm receives MWh-scale buy orders of their superior sodium-ion batteries
UNIGRID Battery, a UC San Diego spin-off startup firm and member of Cleantech San Diego’s Southern California Power Innovation Community (SCEIN), proclaims that it has obtained its first industrial MWh-scale buy orders for his or her superior sodium ion batteries. The corporate was based in 2021 from the Ph.D. analysis work of Dr. Darren H. S. Tan and Dr. Erik A. Wu, who had been each suggested by Prof. Zheng Chen and Prof. Shirley Meng, outstanding figures within the battery subject.
UNIGRID noticed a direct alternative for sodium ion in North America’s residential, behind-the-meter power storage system (ESS) market (i.e. energy packs – reminiscent of Tesla’s Powerwall – which might be put in in properties). They’ve moved rapidly to scale up and produce their first product, a first-generation cylindrical cell.
“There’s a huge market hole that present battery applied sciences can not meet. Sodium ion may be very compelling as it’s a less-expensive and safer battery with out the lithium provide chain uncertainties,” stated UNIGRID CEO Darren H. S. Tan.
On account of this mix of properties, sodium ion batteries are rising as the following large wave in battery know-how. UNIGRID’s distinctive method, using a tin anode as an alternative of arduous carbon, is a breakthrough for sodium-ion batteries; it will increase the volumetric power density to be aggressive with and even exceed that of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, overcoming a earlier aggressive drawback.
“Tin alloy anode in sodium ion overcomes the widespread failure modes of silicon, reminiscent of particle cracking from quantity enlargement, lively materials losses, and capability degradation. Tin opens up many potentialities for sodium ion,” stated UNIGRID CTO Erik A. Wu.
Third occasion testing and validation on the superior sodium ion batteries has been accomplished, and UNIGRID is on observe to ship MWh portions of its superior sodium ion batteries to prospects in 2024. The crew is at present ramping up manufacturing in San Diego, California, in an effort to meet the quickly rising curiosity and demand for his or her sodium-ion batteries.
“The U.S. has huge reserves of sodium and has large potential to strengthen our grid’s resilience. We absolutely anticipate batteries to be a vital equipment for each house, like a fridge, however for electrons.,” stated Dr. Shirley Meng, Professor of the Pritzker Faculty of Molecular Engineering on the College of Chicago and Adjunct Professor of Nanoengineering at UC San Diego. Professor Meng additionally serves because the Chief Scientist for Argonne’s Collaborative Heart for Power Storage Science (ACCESS).
Li-ion batteries have made nice progress in enabling electrical automobiles and transportable units. Nonetheless, powering our nation’s grid, enabling extra renewables, and driving ahead a profitable clear power transition requires a various array of power technology and storage applied sciences, and the UNIGRID crew believes that sodium-ion can have a major half to play within the power panorama shifting ahead.
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