Featured in Material change – 03-2024

A battery worth its salt

While lithium ion battery prices are falling again, interest in sodium ion (Na-ion) energy storage has not waned. With a global ramp-up of cell manufacturing capacity under way, it remains unclear whether this promising technology can tip the scales on supply and demand. Marija Maisch reports.

By

Marija Maisch

11 Mar 2024

Northvolt unveiled 160 Wh/kg-validated sodium ion battery cells in November 2023 and says it is now working to scale up the supply chain for battery-grade Na-ion materials. | Image: Northvolt

Sodium ion batteries are undergoing a critical period of commercialization as industries from automotive to energy storage bet big on the technology. Established battery manufacturers and newcomers are jostling to get from lab to fab with a viable alternative to lithium ion. With the latter standard for electric mobility and stationary storage, new technology must …

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