Fastmarkets analysts Muthu Krishna and Phoebe O’Hara look at the potential of solid-state and sodium-ion batteries to scale up and ease the pressure on lithium-ion NMC and LFP battery chemistries, which currently dominate the EV and ESS markets.

A battery energy storage system (BESS) project using sodium-ion technology has entered commercial operation in Qingdao, China.

Utility Xcel Energy has received a US$20 million grant commitment from VC firm Breakthrough Energy for projects using Form Energy’s iron-air battery, while a sodium ion battery firm has secured bridge financing.

US Senator Joe Manchin and fellow bipartisan colleagues have urged the Biden Administration to invest more in non-lithium energy storage technologies, while DOE Loan Programs Office head Jigar Shah expects companies developing the latter to broadly secure 1GWh orders this year.

ASX-listed Altech Chemicals and research institute Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft have progressed plans for a 100MWh plant in Germany to produce the latter’s energy storage-focused sodium solid state battery technology.

Natron Energy could supply sodium-ion battery storage to a novel ‘integrated hybrid generator’ project in Queensland, Australia.

United Airlines has become an investor in Natron Energy as the world’s first sodium-ion gigafactory is opened in China.

Manufacturing firm Arxada has started producing Prussian blue materials for Natron sodium-ion battery production while US-based Mitra Chem has hired EPC firm Bechtel to design its LFP cathode facility.

We speak to Powin Energy’s Danny Lu in the latest of our interview series with industry leaders at RE+ 2022 clean energy trade show.

The US energy storage market’s rapid growth is going to lead to scrambles for available battery supply, leading many to consider alternative technologies to lithium-ion.