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Gennady Detinich
The dependence of European battery production on supplies of raw materials or finished products from China threatens local markets in all aspects. It is necessary to get rid of this dependence, which forces European developers to create new promising batteries without the use of scarce raw materials, including lithium. About creating such a battery reported Swedes, and they intend to move towards mass production.
Example of Northvolt products. Image source: Northvolt
One of the pioneers of European battery manufacturing, the Swedish company Northvolt, announced the development of a sodium-ion battery that does not contain lithium, nickel, graphite and cobalt. Such a battery will be very cheap, although its characteristics are significantly inferior to lithium ones. According to Northvolt, the prototype has a specific energy storage density of 160 Wh/kg. This is approximately two times less than the best modern lithium batteries. The company expects to present the first pre-commercial sample to customers next year and intends to begin mass production over time.
The low specific capacity of sodium-containing batteries and their relative cheapness suggest the stationary use of such batteries. The first clients may be owners of solar and wind power plants, who expect to create a buffer capacity to smooth out peaks in energy consumption. Such storage devices, especially if it is possible to move away from lithium, will greatly help with the transition to renewable sources of electricity generation.
“The use of sodium ion technology is not new, but we believe this is the first product to be completely free of critical raw materials. This is a fundamental breakthrough said Patrik Andreasson, Northvolt Vice President of Strategy and Sustainability. “This makes it possible not to depend on some regions of the world, including China.” Asked whether Northvolt would set up production in the UK, Andreasson said: “We have all the possibilities. We have a clear idea of where we are going.”
It is worth recalling that European Union legislation remains very conservative in terms of battery production, considering lithium and similar materials extremely dangerous. This limits the circulation, recycling and use of lithium-containing batteries. Sodium-containing batteries will be free from such restrictions. The battery created by Northvolt, for example, uses a cathode made of Prussian blue and an anode made of solid carbon, which have little or no toxicity. The company is not going to limit itself to the European market and wants to see itself also in the markets of the Middle East, India and Africa.
2023-11-22 09:15:00
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