Northvolt breaks through: No-critical mineral, sodium-ion based battery ready for market
UN Climate Conference in Dubai, COP28, Northvolt CEO and Co-Founder Peter Carlsson shared his outlook on sodium-ion in a conversation with Anna Liberg, Global Head of Energy at Business Sweden. Carlsson said, “The world has put high hopes on sodium-ion, and I’m very pleased to say that we’ve developed a technology that will enable its widespread deployment to accelerate the energy transition.
It’s an important milestone for Northvolt’s market proposition, but battery technology like this is also crucial to reach global sustainability goals by making electrification more cost-efficient, sustainable and accessible worldwide." Northvolt has developed sodium-ion technology, with its research partner Altris. It claims to provide the foundation for Northvolt's next-generation energy storage solutions.
“The low cost and safety at high temperatures make the technology especially attractive for energy storage solutions in upcoming markets including India, the Middle East and Africa," the company's website mentioned. The Salar de Atacama in Chile, a lithium mining spot, has been depleted of its local water resources and disrupted sensitive ecosystems, according to an article by The New York Times.
Lithium’s limited availability and uneven distribution across the globe create supply chain vulnerabilities and drive up costs. In contrast, sodium, the workhorse of sodium-ion batteries, is abundantly found in seawater and common minerals, minimizing environmental pressures associated with extensive mining.
As noted in the USGS report “The Criticality of Earth Elements in 2021," the dependence on scarce resources like lithium necessitates the exploration of alternatives like sodium-ion batteries. Challenges and Opportunities 2023 report
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