Northvolt announced a sodium-ion battery breakthrough

Northvolt announced a major breakthrough in sodium-ion batteries to produce cost-efficient and sustainable energy storage systems globally.

The cell has been validated for an energy density of over 160 hours per kilogram at Northvolt’s R&D and industrialization campus, Northvolt Labs, In Sweden.

Northvolt said its cell is safer, more cost-effective, and more sustainable than conventional nickel, manganese, and cobalt (NMC) or iron phosphate (LFP) chemistries and is produced with minerals such as iron and sodium.

The Swedish battery developer revealed that it is based on a hard carbon anode and a Prusian White-based cathode, and is free from lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite.

This new announcement came as a breakthrough in battery design and manufacturing, and it is also the first to industrialize Prussian White-based batteries for commercial use cases.

Northvolt further mentioned that the sodium-ion technology will become a foundation for next-generation energy storage solutions. Importantly, the cost efficiency, and durability in high temperature makes the technology suitable for energy storage solution in markets including India, the Middle East, and Africa.

The first generation of sodium-ion cells is designed for energy storage. However, the company has a roadmap for future generations with high energy density.

The battery developer also added that the product portfolio consisting of premium lithium-ion battery cells is designed for the automotive industry and energy-dense lithium-metal battery technology is under development for aviation and high-performance vehicles in the USA.

(source)