24M delivers initial quantity of production-size semi-solid Lithium-ion cells to NEC Energy Solutions
12 October 2016
On schedule, 24M has successfully delivered an initial quantity of production-size battery cells to NEC Energy Solutions, Inc. (NEC ES), meeting the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) the two companies signed last year at this time. (Earlier post.)
24M is leveraging existing, preferred energy storage chemistry but using a new cell design with semi-solid (a mixture of solid and liquid phases) thick electrodes and manufacturing innovations to deliver what it says will be up to a 50% reduction in current Li-ion costs.
Last October, 24M and NEC ES announced the signing of an MoU whereby 24M agreed to supply its semi-solid lithium-ion cells for use in NEC ES’ integrated storage systems.
The 24M battery cells are optimized to withstand the rigors of the long cycle and calendar life required by grid-scale energy storage and other high-performance applications.
The market for energy storage solutions is growing rapidly, but cost remains a significant factor for many customers. With 24M semisolid lithium-ion battery cells, NEC ES will be able to include better batteries for a better price in our next generation energy storage systems.
—Bud Collins, CEO of NEC ES
24M has an interesting design, I wish them well.
Posted by: SJC | 12 October 2016 at 07:50 AM
Finally something which would actually be a battery breakthrough!
Its been a long time coming.
Posted by: Davemart | 12 October 2016 at 08:03 AM
The 50% lower cost is interesting if weight and volume are also reduced?
Posted by: HarveyD | 12 October 2016 at 10:10 AM
HarveyD,
Usually cost reduction in batteries is due to a reduction in material costs, because of a more efficient anode or cathode chemistry. 24M is different because they're proposing a manufacturing technique that differs from the one the entire industry uses, that was invented by Sony to leverage the equipment they had to manufacture camera film.
The result is that you can create a "battery factory" the size of a soda machine. Instead of today where the minimum size for a battery factory is well, a factory :)
The other upside is it should allow more rapid prototyping of new chemistries.
Posted by: Sublime | 12 October 2016 at 11:03 AM
The 24M solution is certainly a step forward from the present state of the art regarding form fit and function. However, this solution is still based on Lithium, which - as we are presently experiencing on Samsung's Note 7 - is extremely volatile and dangerous.
Magnesium, on the other hand, as a 3-D solid state architecture cell, would offer far more energy density at less weight and an even better price. The earth's crust contains 1.4% Magnesium; far more than Lithium and will never expire.
Posted by: yoatmon | 12 October 2016 at 11:44 AM
Honda and Toyota are working on magnesium, Oxis and others are working on sulfur. If it were easy it would be done by now.
Posted by: SJC | 12 October 2016 at 04:00 PM
In most cases a proper solution is a meticulous and enduring process but also simple once it has been achieved. No one, myself included, stated that the goal itself is easy.
Posted by: yoatmon | 13 October 2016 at 02:47 AM
Some people say "put it in production" as if advances are ready to go, they are not. Setting expectations based on reality is necessary, in 25 years lithium ion batteries have become safer with higher capacity.
Posted by: SJC | 13 October 2016 at 07:17 AM
@yoatmon
24M's solution is being prototyped with Lithium ion chemistry, because that is the most refined and well understood at the moment. It is not a chemistry, but a manufacturing technique. If the chemistry of Sodium Ion or Magnesium Ion is worked out it can be manufactured with this technique for cheaper than if it is manufactured by the Sony technique all battery manufacturers use today.
24M's solution means you don't need a Gigafactory. You don't need to centralize battery manufacturing for a million cars a year + 100s of 1000s of solar storage into one building that's almost unimaginably big.
Ford could add battery manufacturing onsite to their Focus plant or F150 plant.
Posted by: Sublime | 13 October 2016 at 07:46 AM
"First of all, lithium-ion battery research had been mired in a legacy trap, which began when Sony created today's technology from its older magnetic tape technology in the 1980s and 1990s,"
http://www.aiche.org/chenected/2015/07/mit-startup-reinvents-lithium-ion-battery-manufacturing
Posted by: SJC | 13 October 2016 at 11:31 AM
These guys are promising $150/kwh now, and $85 in 2020.
I wish them well, but that's not cheaper than current li-ion ($100/kwh). Who knows what the cost of li-ion will be in 2020!
This is highly reminiscent of many solar technologies which have died recently, because traditional silicon cells kept going down in cost fast.
Posted by: peskanov | 15 October 2016 at 01:02 PM
I haven't seen anyone else selling below $150/kWh now with GM claiming ~$145/kWh for the Bolt at extreme volumes. So they're competitive IF this is real.
But they also have some advantages in size/weight of their cells so it might still be an interesting entry into the "great battery sweepstakes". :)
Posted by: DaveD | 18 October 2016 at 10:47 AM