Northvolt is releasing a new sodium-ion battery developed for the expansion of cost-efficient and sustainable energy storage systems. The cell has been validated for a best-in-class energy density of over 160 watt-hours per kilogram at Northvolt Labs, the company’s R&D and industrialization campus located in Sweden.
Northvolt’s validated cell is produced with iron and sodium minerals, making it more cost-effective, safer, and more sustainable than conventional nickel, manganese, and cobalt (NMC) or iron phosphate (LFP) chemistries.
This battery is based on a hard carbon anode and a Prussian White-based cathode that is free from lithium, nickel, cobalt and graphite.
“The world has put high hopes on sodium-ion, and I’m very pleased to say that we’ve developed a technology that will enable its widespread deployment to accelerate the energy transition,” said Peter Carlsson, CEO and co-founder of Northvolt. “It’s an important milestone for Northvolt’s market proposition, but battery technology like this is also crucial to reach global sustainability goals by making electrification more cost-efficient, sustainable, and accessible worldwide.”
The sodium-ion technology, which has been developed together with research partner Altris, is intended to provide the foundation for Northvolt’s next-generation energy storage solutions. Due to its low cost and ability to operate at high temperatures safely, this new technology is highly appealing for energy storage solutions in emerging markets such as India, the Middle East, and Africa. It can also be produced with locally sourced materials, providing a unique pathway for developing new regional battery manufacturing capacity entirely independent of traditional battery value chains.
Northvolt’s first generation of sodium-ion cell is designed primarily for energy storage, with subsequent generations delivering higher energy density opening opportunities to enable cost-efficient electric mobility solutions.
Northvolt’s existing product portfolio also consists of lithium-ion battery cells tailored for automotive customers, and energy-dense lithium-metal battery technology that is under development for aviation and high-performance vehicles at Cuberg, a Northvolt company based in San Leandro, USA.
“Our sodium-ion technology delivers the performance required to enable energy storage with longer duration than alternative battery chemistries at a lower cost, thereby opening new pathways to deploying renewable power generation,” said Carlsson. “The potential of sodium-ion in this market alone will make a tremendous impact in the drive toward global electrification.”
Filed Under: Batteries, Technology News