World’s largest sodium battery unit capable of powering 12,000 homes a day goes operational: ‘Unmatched by other batteries’

About 12,000 Chinese households can now be powered by salt. In truth, the “world’s largest” sodium-ion battery system in Qianjiang is proof that the unique power pack chemistry can store a hoard of renewable energy, reliably putting it on the grid, according to PV Magazine and Interesting Engineering. The system was put online in June by state-owned power provider Datang Group, turning heads across the energy sector. “The growing storage capacities of these units show that the sodium-ion batteries are no longer limited to the laboratories and are making their presence felt in the market,” IE’s Ameya Paleja wrote. The power packs are the first part of a storage station being completed in phases. It includes 42 energy storage containers provided by HiNa Battery Technology. Throwing the switch on the project was a score for the development team after a long series of “difficulties,” all per PV’s report. Sodium-ion batteries have some impressive advantages over common lithium-ion packs, used in most electric vehicles and other large storage units, like Tesla’s Megapacks. When mass produced, the salt-based batteries could be much cheaper to make than alternatives on the market because sodium is abundant and less costly to harvest than lithium. Aluminum can be used as an anode instead of more expensive copper, reducing expenses even more, all per PV. The article also noted challenges that need to be overcome to bring the science to fruition, something the Chinese experts have apparently achieved with the Datang project. “Before sodium ion batteries can challenge existing lead acid and lithium iron phosphate batteries, industry players will need to reduce the technology’s cost by improving technical performance, establishing supply chains, and achieving economies of scale,” Shazan Siddiqi, an analyst at UK-based research company IDTechEx, said in the online magazine. At the Qianjiang site, experts told PV that the station can be powered up and down more than 300 times a year. The stored electricity can be released to support the grid during peak times. Datang Group said the system can reduce harmful air pollution output by more than 13,000 tons each year. Breathing high amounts of pollution can increase the chances for a host of health problems, from increased cancer risks to asthma and even dementia, according to health experts. At Datang, the team is also touting other impressive metrics as part of its pollution-curbing solution. “Sodium-ion batteries have excellent safety and low-temperature operating performance. They can still guarantee 85% charge and discharge efficiency at (minus 68-degrees Fahrenheit), which is unmatched by other batteries. They can also guarantee 1,500 charge and discharge cycles at a high temperature of (140-degrees),” Datang project manager Cui Yongle said in the PV article. It’s another boon for the burgeoning renewable power and storage sector, as huge solar farms and other projects are being turned on or are in development in China, the U.S., Portugal, and elsewhere. You can leverage steep tax breaks to install smaller, home-based systems and battery storage units. Installing solar can save you $1,500 a year on electricity bills, if canceling $125 worth of energy each month. Tax rebates, on average, are worth $4,600. EnergySage and Rewiring America are free online tools that can help you navigate solar and battery options, applicable tax incentives, and even find an installer. “An alternative from an abundantly available and cheaper source makes the transition easier,” IE’s Paleja noted, referencing the sodium science.