Strong Performance
Although our sodium-ion batteries work in a similar way to other rechargeable batteries, they have some unique advantages. These include an extended operational voltage window, which offers safety benefits, and a wide temperature range.
Our substantial Intellectual Property portfolio enables a cell chemistry to be designed specific to an application.
Available Voltage Range
From zero to 4.3 Volts. The capability to be cycled to and stored at zero volts leads to safer cells and cheaper costs.
Energy Density
We have prioritised developing high energy density cells to meet the demands of current and future applications. Current cell designs can provide gravimetric and volumetric energy densities comparable to lithium-ion and greatly in excess of lead-acid batteries: our current production-scale cells deliver a rated (at 4.2 V) specific energy of up to 160 Wh/kg in 32 Ah pouch cells. Faradion’s next-generation sodium-ion cell design will deliver a rated specific energy in excess of 190 Wh/kg – this has been verified in prototype pouch cells and we are currently scaling this up to 32 Ah production-scale pouch cells. Read more about Faradion’s pioneering research in enhancing the energy densities of the sodium-ion technology over the last decade, in the comprehensive peer-reviewed Perspective article published in Journal of Materials Chemistry A.
Power (Rate) Capability
Sodium-ion cells can be cycled under conditions suitable for energy storage and mobile applications. An example of the cycling rates is a range of 2C (0.5 hour) to C/10 (10 hours). In addition high power bursts can be achieved with our Na-ion technology. As another attractive feature, sodium-ion cells are inherently capable of fast charging (sub-20 min charge) – details mentioned in Faradion’s peer-reviewed article published in the Journal of The Electrochemical Society.
Cycle Life
The cycle life is designed to meet the requirements of the application. The cycle life of Faradion’s sodium-ion cells can range to many thousands of cycles, depending on the depth of discharge (DOD) and charge/discharge conditions. Faradion’s 160 Wh/kg-rated Na-ion cells can deliver cycle lives in excess of 4,000 cycles to 80 % capacity retention in prototype pouch cells, whilst the corresponding 32 Ah cells are currently cycling and forecast to deliver cycle lives between 2,300 – 3,000 cycles at 78 % DOD. Our 140 Wh/kg-rated 32 Ah pouch cells are currently (November 2022) cycling to >84 % capacity retention after 2,700 cycles at 75 % DOD and are on track to deliver 3,700 cycles to 80 % capacity retention (refer to the Figure below).
Energy Efficiency
The (round trip) energy efficiency of sodium-ion batteries is 92% at a discharge time of 5 hours, in contrast with a lead-acid battery that has an energy efficiency of circa 70%. Sodium-ion has been identified as only one of two battery technologies that has could meet the energy efficiency targets of > 90% for stationary battery systems in 2030, in the joint European Association for Energy Storage and European Energy Research Alliance European Energy Storage Technology Development Roadmap for Public Consultation.
Temperature Range
Sodium-ion cells have demonstrated performance and excellent capacity retention over the temperature range -20°C to +60°C.
