Breakthrough in battery tech: Northvolt adds sodium-ion batteries to its portfolio

Battery manufacturing major, Northvolt announced that it has successfully validated sodium-ion batteries with an energy density of over 160 watt-hours per kilogram at the company's R&D and industrialization campus at Northvolt Labs in Västerås, Sweden.

Northvolt developed its sodium-ion battery technology with research partner Altris and intends to make the new batteries the foundation for Northvolt's next-generation energy storage solutions. The first generation of sodium-ion cell will be designed primarily for energy storage, with subsequent generations delivering higher energy density to be used for cost-efficient e-mobility solutions.

"The world has put high hopes on sodium-ion, and I'm very pleased to say that we've developed a technology that will enable its widespread deployment to accelerate the energy transition," said Peter Carlsson, CEO and Co-Founder of Northvolt.

"It's an important milestone for Northvolt's market proposition, but battery technology like this is also crucial to reach global sustainability goals, by making electrification more cost-efficient, sustainable and accessible worldwide."

Sodium-ion batteries are considered to be a more cost-effective and sustainable battery technology owing to their reliance on abundantly available battery materials and less disruptive ecological impact compared to lithium extraction.

Northvolt claims its low cost and safety at high temperatures make the sodium-ion battery technology particularly attractive for energy storage solutions in upcoming markets like India, the Middle East, and Africa.

Northvolt's sodium-ion batteries include a hard carbon anode and a Prussian White-based cathode. The cells are free from lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite. The company notes, that its latest technology can be produced with locally sourced materials, providing an opportunity for developing new regional battery manufacturing capacity entirely independent of the traditional battery value chain.

"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 added.