Northvolt is adding a state-of-the-art sodium-ion battery to its portfolio. It was developed for the expansion of cost-efficient and sustainable energy storage systems worldwide. According to the company, the cell has been validated for a “best-in-class energy density” of over 160 watt-hours per kilogram at the company’s R&D and industrialization campus, Northvolt Labs, in Västerås, Sweden.
Northvolt’s validated cell is safer, more cost-effective, and more sustainable than conventional nickel, manganese, and cobalt (NMC) or iron phosphate (LFP) chemistries. It is produced with minerals such as iron and sodium that are abundant in global markets. It is based on a hard carbon anode and a Prussian White-based cathode and is free from lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite. Leveraging a battery design and manufacturing breakthrough, Northvolt plans to be the first to industrialize Prussian White-based batteries and bring them to commercial markets.
High hopes
Peter Carlsson, CEO and Co-Founder of Northvolt, says the world has put high hopes on sodium-ion. “That’s why I’m very pleased to say that we’ve developed a technology that will enable its widespread deployment to accelerate the energy transition. It’s an important milestone for Northvolt’s market proposition and 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, developed with research partner Altris, is intended to provide the foundation for Northvolt’s next-generation energy storage solutions. The low cost and safety at high temperatures make the technology especially attractive for energy storage solutions in upcoming markets, including India, the Middle East, and Africa.
The technology can also be produced with locally sourced materials, providing a unique pathway for developing new regional battery manufacturing capacity independent of traditional battery value chains.
Storage
Northvolt’s first generation of sodium-ion cells is designed primarily for energy storage, with subsequent generations delivering higher energy density, opening opportunities to enable cost-efficient electric mobility solutions. It represents a complement to Northvolt’s product portfolio consisting of lithium-ion battery cells tailored for automotive customers and energy-dense lithium-metal battery technology 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”, Carlsson adds. “The potential of sodium-ion in this market alone will tremendously impact the drive towards global electrification.”
$55 billion
Northvolt was established in 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden. Pioneering a sustainable model for battery manufacturing, the company has received $55 billion in orders from key customers, including BMW, Fluence, Scania, Volvo Cars, and Volkswagen Group. The company is currently delivering batteries from its first gigafactory Northvolt Ett, in Skellefteå, Sweden, and from its R&D and industrialization campus, Northvolt Labs, in Västerås, Sweden. Northvolt employs over 5,000 people in Sweden, Germany, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the US, and Canada. EIT InnoEnergy was one of Northvolt’s initial funders.
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