UC San Diego spin-off firm receives MWh-scale buy orders of their superior sodium-ion batteries

UNIGRID Battery, a UC San Diego spin-off startup firm and member of Cleantech San Diego’s Southern California Vitality Innovation Community (SCEIN), pronounces that it has acquired its first business MWh-scale buy orders for his or her superior sodium ion batteries. The corporate was based in 2021 from the Ph.D. analysis work of Dr. Darren H. S. Tan and Dr. Erik A. Wu, who had been each suggested by Prof. Zheng Chen and Prof. Shirley Meng, distinguished figures within the battery area.

UNIGRID noticed a right away alternative for sodium ion in North America’s residential, behind-the-meter vitality storage system (ESS) market (i.e. energy packs – reminiscent of Tesla’s Powerwall – which are put in in properties). They’ve moved rapidly to scale up and produce their first product, a first-generation cylindrical cell. 

“There’s a huge market hole that present battery applied sciences can’t meet. Sodium ion may be very compelling as it’s a less-expensive and safer battery with out the lithium provide chain uncertainties,” stated UNIGRID CEO Darren H. S. Tan.

As a result of this mixture of properties, sodium ion batteries are rising as the subsequent massive wave in battery know-how. UNIGRID’s distinctive method, the usage of a tin anode as a substitute of exhausting carbon, is a breakthrough for sodium-ion batteries; it will increase the volumetric vitality density to be aggressive with and even exceed that of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, overcoming a earlier aggressive drawback.

“Tin alloy anode in sodium ion overcomes the widespread failure modes of silicon, reminiscent of particle cracking from quantity enlargement, lively materials losses, and capability degradation. Tin opens up many potentialities for sodium ion,” stated UNIGRID CTO Erik A. Wu.

Third social gathering testing and validation on the superior sodium ion batteries has been accomplished, and UNIGRID is on monitor to ship MWh portions of its superior sodium ion batteries to prospects in 2024. The staff is at present ramping up manufacturing in San Diego, California, with a purpose to meet the quickly rising curiosity and demand for his or her sodium-ion batteries.

“The U.S. has huge reserves of sodium and has large potential to strengthen our grid’s resilience. We absolutely count on batteries to be a vital equipment for each house, like a fridge, however for electrons.,” stated Dr. Shirley Meng, Professor of the Pritzker Faculty of Molecular Engineering on the College of Chicago and Adjunct Professor of Nanoengineering at UC San Diego. Professor Meng additionally serves because the Chief Scientist for Argonne’s Collaborative Middle for Vitality Storage Science (ACCESS).

Li-ion batteries have made nice progress in enabling electrical automobiles and moveable gadgets. Nonetheless, powering our nation’s grid, enabling extra renewables, and driving ahead a profitable clear vitality transition requires a various array of vitality era and storage applied sciences, and the UNIGRID staff believes that sodium-ion can have a big half to play within the vitality panorama shifting ahead. 

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