Sodium-ion battery gets world-first certification, in new boost for cheaper storage

Chinese battery manufacturer Pylontech has obtained the world’s first sodium-ion battery certification, granted by leading testing and certification group TÜV Rheinland.

The certification serves to demonstrate Pylontech’s advancement of sodium-ion battery technology, paving the way for its application in energy storage projects – a step which could prove pivotal in realising the huge capacities of battery energy storage that will be needed over the coming decades.

Specifically, according to global clean energy analysts BloombergNEF (BNEF), the global installed capacity of energy storage is expected to reach 233GWh by the end of 2030.

However, the dominant battery storage technology remains lithium-ion, which relies on a number of costly rare-earth materials. Sodium-ion batteries, however, are much cheaper, given the dramatic differences in prices for raw materials.

The technological breakthrough of sodium ion batteries and the subsequent certification could serve to supplement the dominant lithium-ion technology and alleviate pressure on energy storage supply.

“Being the first company to get international safety standards of sodium ion battery surely reinforces Pylontech’s all along positioning — A Dedicated Energy Storage System Provider with comprehensive research development and manufacturing capabilities,” said Geoffrey Song, vice president of international business of the ESS giant.

“We will strive to leverage our capabilities to accelerate the carbon neutrality process, regardless of the technology, economic or environmental challenges.”