Contemporary Amperex Technology Co (CATL) unveiled what it said might be the world’s first sodium-ion battery, a new type of rechargeable battery similar to the commonly used lithium-ion battery. It could become a cheaper and resource-saving alternative to lithium-ion batteries. According to Huang Qisen, Deputy Director of the CATL Research Institute, CATL’s sodium-ion battery can reach an energy density of 160 Watt-hour/kilogram, currently the highest level in the world in this class of batteries, but relatively low when compared with that of lithium-ion batteries. CATL’s sodium-ion battery can be charged to 80% capacity in about 15 minutes at room temperature. The discharge retention rate will still be above 90% in environments with temperatures below -20ºC. “Sodium-ion batteries are compatible and complement lithium-ion batteries,” said Robin Zeng, Chairman of CATL, in an online launch event. “We believe that the world of electrochemistry is like the energy cube, where there are still a lot of unknowns for us to discover,” he said.
CATL also announced the launch of the AB battery system, which can integrate the use of sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries to meet a range of needs. CATL also said it is developing the next-generation sodium-ion batteries with an energy density of over 200 Wh/kg. It has already started industrial deployment of its sodium-ion battery and plans to form a basic industry chain in 2023. The Ningde, Fujian province-based company supplies batteries to automakers including Tesla, Volkswagen and Geely. “One of the important reasons for CATL's development of sodium-ion batteries might be that there is a high risk in the lithium-ion battery industry chain due to the country’s high dependence on overseas sources,” said Shao Yuanjun, Senior Analyst with CCID Consulting.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Australia and the United States have the world’s largest lithium resources. “With shortages in China, the prices of raw materials for lithium-ion batteries will skyrocket, which will have an impact on the industry chain. CATL’s move on sodium-ion batteries suggests the company is prepared to increase the diversity and choice of products in advance,” Shao said. The performance of sodium-ion batteries is between that of lithium-ion batteries and lead-acid batteries. “With the gradual reduction in costs, sodium batteries may replace lead-acid batteries in low-speed electric vehicles and other fields,” he said. GF Securities predicted that domestic demand for potential applications of sodium-ion batteries will be in the order of 123 gigawatt hours, with sales revenues of around CNY53.7 billion by 2025. However, GF Securities also stated the energy density of sodium-ion batteries is only about 50% of lithium-ion batteries, and the potential for sodium-ion batteries’ commercialization remains to be explored, the China Daily reports.
