CATL’s cost-effective sodium-ion battery could be a game changer
#1

Eric Ng in Hong Kong
and Yujie Xue in Shenzhen
Published: 11:00am, 16 Oct, 2021


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CATL unveiled its first generation of sodium-ion batteries, and came up with a solution to mix its mainstay lithium-ion packs with the alternative technology into new packs to optimise performance.

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“Some people [said] it would be hard to make breakthroughs in the chemistry of batteries, and that improvements can only be made in their physical structures,” Zeng told 170 of CATL’s biggest shareholders, including China Merchants Bank and Hillhouse Capital, during the company’s annual general meeting. “By using a high-throughput calculation platform and simulation technology … [we] continuously evolved and enabled sodium-ion batteries to enter the fast track to industrialisation.”

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Most NEV batteries ...... rely on lithium and cobalt as the key raw material, both of which are concentrated in a small number of nations.

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The world’s reserves of lithium stood at 21 million tonnes in 2020, of which 44 per cent was in Chile, 22 per cent in Australia, 9 per cent in Argentina and 7 per cent in China

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Australia ...... accounted for nearly half of the production, while China – the world’s largest NEV market – imported some 80 per cent of the industry’s needs.

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the world’s supply of lithium is heading for a “serious supply deficit” by 2027

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Cobalt’s global reserves stand at 7.1 million tonnes, half of which was in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which also accounted for 68 per cent of worldwide output.

By contrast, sodium is readily found and is virtually inexhaustible.

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Sodium-ion batteries also have the added advantage of fast charging and higher performance under low temperatures compared to lithium-ion ones.

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CATL claimed its first-generation sodium battery can be recharged to 80 per cent of capacity in 15 minutes at room temperature.

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The next-generation product’s energy storage density is expected to exceed 200 Watt-hours per kg, up from 160Wh of the first-generation prototype, Zeng said. Watt-hours are used as a measure of power output.

This range is comparable to those achieved by lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, one of two main types of lithium-ion batteries.



Better to read full article at: https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/...ctive-game
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#2

Sodium means the density will be low and battery will be bigger.

I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
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#3

Good video explaining the technology

https://youtu.be/TVrlbMrEcCY

I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
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#4

I thought some researchers are touting iron to replace lithium?
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