Although sodium batteries may seem like a novelty, researchers have been working on improving them for a long time. Now that key breakthroughs have been made, it seems their time has come.
Lithium batteries power smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles, but they have high costs, environmental problems and unstable supply chains. Sodium is cheap, widespread and easily accessible, meaning it will not be subject to geopolitical pressures.
Sodium batteries use similar principles to lithium batteries, except they use sodium instead of lithium. Iron-manganese cathodes are inexpensive and safe. In addition, sodium batteries perform better at low temperatures and are less prone to ignition.
China's CATL has unveiled the second generation of its Naxtra platform with an energy density of 175 Wh\/kg and plans for mass production. In the US, Natron Energy is building a \u20ac1.3 billion factory, while Japan's Elecom is already offering the first consumer sodium-based battery.
Advances include new anode materials, improved electrolytes and anode-less designs, which increase capacity and lifespan. According to IDTechEx, costs could drop to \u20ac38\/kWh, significantly less than lithium.
Sodium batteries are ideal for a variety of applications, including grid-connected energy storage, light electric vehicles and city cars, low-power, long-life devices, and hybrid systems combining lithium and sodium. While they will not completely replace lithium, they will be an important complement that will reduce the pressure on lithium resources.<\/p>\n