A new research centre ‘uniquely equipped’ to evaluate energy storage technologies has opened at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Washington, US.
US firm Natron Energy has announced plans for a sodium-ion gigafactory in North Carolina, while two Chinese firms have firmed up their projects, all-in-all totalling over 30GWh of annual sodium-ion production capacity.
Peak Energy, a startup claiming to be the ‘first American venture to advance globally proven sodium-ion battery systems,’ has raised US$55 million in a Series A funding round.
Telecoms specialist Elisa is deploying battery and PV systems at base towers in Finland, which will “implement virtual power plant (VPP) optimisation of locally produced solar energy.”
Natron Energy has started commercial-scale operations at its sodium-ion battery manufacturing plant in Michigan, US, and elaborated on how its technology compares to lithium-ion in answers provided to Energy-Storage.news.
Executives from Northvolt discussed the gigafactory company’s ramp-up after a slow 2023 and how the company intends to be competitive in the global market, as well as cell technology, recycling, sourcing from China and an eventual IPO.
Sodium-ion battery technology could be the “perfect solution for applications where energy density is not paramount,” according to the chief executive of battery tech company BMZ Group.
