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Swedish battery maker Northvolt has developed a sodium-ion battery. It should complement the more common lithium-ion battery, which requires scarce metals. Northvolt's technology would be inexpensive and also fire-safe. The company, which wants to become
With a sodium-ion battery, you bypass the difficulties associated with extracting lithium | Credit: Getty Images
Sodium-ion batteries (also called sodium-ion or salt batteries) work in a similar way to lithium-ion batteries. Like lithium batteries, salt batteries have an anode (minus pole) and a cathode (plus pole). Between them is an electrolyte composed of salts and acids. In a lithium battery, lithium ions move from one pole to the other, releasing current. In a salt battery, these are sodium (or sodium) ions.
Not lithium
Northvolt's salt battery is free of lithium and cobalt. These are metals that are in huge demand as the entire world increasingly uses batteries (especially intended for electric cars). In the case of lithium, the problem is not so much that a shortage is imminent, but rather that geopolitical tensions may get in the way.
Violations and scarcity
In the case of cobalt, it is true that supplies could run out. In addition, cobalt mining in Congo appears to lead to human rights violations. For example, residents are evicted from their homes for mine construction, and are subjected to threats and sexual violence in the process. Child labor is also not uncommon.
Fireproof and inexpensive
So with a sodium ion battery, you bypass those difficulties. In addition, a salt battery has other advantages. According to Northvolt, the technology can withstand higher temperatures, making it more fire-safe. Also, the technology is said to be cheaper than batteries containing nickel, cobalt and manganese.
"Our sodium ion technology delivers the performance needed to enable energy storage with longer duration than alternative battery chemicals, at a lower cost, opening new avenues to the use of renewable energy generation," said
It says its energy density (how much energy it can provide per unit weight) is 160 watt-hours per kilogram. It is difficult to give an average value for comparison, as technologies vary and the industry continues to evolve. Moreover, that sector has considerable outliers (for example, of 500 watt-hours per kilogram and even more). In general, a standard car battery currently has an energy density of around 250 watt-hours per kilogram.
Would-be market leader
Northvolt says it can scale up quickly once the development phase is complete. Initially, the technology is intended for energy storage, but the company indicates that electric mobility may also be a possibility in the future. That certainly fits with the ambitions of the company, which aims to become the market leader in
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