New Energy
Sodium in Batteries: Shift May Herald Another Shakeup
- Battery industry is starting to turn to sodium-ion products
- If successful, it could yet again rejig metal demand outlook
The production line of sodium-nickel batteries at a factory in Changxing County, Zhejiang Province of China.
Photographer: Tan Yunfeng/VCG via Getty Images
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Battery giants are starting to put their money on new sodium-based technology, a sign that there could be yet another shakeup in the industry that’s crucial for the energy transition.
Sodium — found in rock salts and brines around the globe — has the potential to make inroads into energy storage and electric vehicles because it’s cheaper and far more abundant than lithium, which currently dominates batteries. But while chemically and structurally similar, sodium has yet to be used on a large scale, partly due to the better range and performance of similarly sized lithium cells.