Altris to manufacture sodium-ion cathode material in Sweden
07 May 2022
Sodium-ion battery cathode producer Altris AB (earlier post) signed a deal with AB Sandvik Materials Technology to house the company’s first industrial-scale manufacturing facility in Sandviken. The new facility, called ‘Ferrum’, will have the annual capacity to produce 2000 metric tonnes of Altris’ cathode material Fennac, enabling 1GWh of sustainable sodium-ion batteries to enter the market each year.
The site for Ferrum was selected based on the infrastructure and onsite expertise that is available, which will facilitate the installation and ongoing support needs for the production facility. This expertise derives from the Sandvik AB’s long industrial experience in Sweden. The site also allows for upscaling of production in the years to come.
The location decision was also made based on Sandviken Municipality’s and the Gävleborg Region’s particular support of new industrial developments in the region that support the move towards a fossil-free energy future.
Ferrum will be the first industrial home for the production of Fennac, a sodium-ion battery cathode material that is sustainable, due to the non-toxic and abundant elements of which it consists. Fennac (often called “Prussian White” among battery researchers) is a framework material consisting of sodium, iron carbon and nitrogen (NaxFe[Fe(CN)6] with x>1.9). The large pores inside the material enable the capture and storage of a range of atoms or molecules making the compound highly interesting for a range of applications.
Although this type of material is not new in itself, Altris has developed a method to produce Fennac in a form that is ideal for use as a positive electrode material in sodium-ion batteries. The utilization of the iron as a source of electrons and completely filling the material with sodium provides a theoretical capacity of 170 mAh/g and average voltage output of 3.2 V vs sodium.
Fennac is produced via a patented low-temperature and -pressure synthesis route, in a fully-sodiated form, obligatory for application as a cathode material.
Work to establish production in the 1800 m2 Ferrum facility will begin in the spring of 2022, with the first output expected to materialize in early 2023. Sandviken becomes the third of Altris’ locations, joining the company’s Head Office and Research Laboratory in Uppsala and Sales Office in Guangzhou, China.
Odd isn't it how our mainstream EV commentators and press release-repeaters continue to under-report or avoid covering alternatives to lithium batteries - despite endless EV price-hikes which we're constantly told are due to supply pressures on and shortages of lithium, cobalt and nickel. Even if sodium ion and solid-state sodium batteries are initially used primarily in stationary storage applications where space+weight are less critical, sodium batteries will significantly reduce supply-chain problems caused by the world's tunnel-visioned, myopic focus on lithium ion and solid state lithium batteries.
Posted by: EVUK_co_uk | 07 May 2022 at 10:34 AM
We're waiting for a manufacturer to adopt a non-lithium battery technology, whether for EVs, PHEVs or even HEVs. Until one of them makes that cut, it's all academic.
Frankly, I'd like to see one automaker go hybrid with supercaps. As power-levelling devices, they are peerless. They would allow the main powerplant to have a response time of seconds to power demands, while providing instant power both for acceleration and braking. This would permit the main powerplant to be optimized for thermal efficiency and emissions rather than responsiveness and NVH; it could simply be operated outside the envelope where those were problems.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 07 May 2022 at 11:52 AM
First, you need a supply chain and Altris will start manufacturing. Fennac soon. As the post states, this is often called “Prussian White” among battery researchers.
CATL uses Prussian White as the cathode in their first generation Sodium Ion battery.
CATL is a supplier to Tesla for LFP batteries. Now CATL has announced a patent for an Anode free Sodium Ion battery that will attain 200 Wh/kg (ref: https://carnewschina.com/2022/01/13/catl-new-patent-allows-anode-free-sodium-ion-battery-density-to-go-above-200wh-kg/).
First, we need to move away from high Nickel batteries and adopt LFP like Tesla. However, even though little Lithium is required for batteries, there will be a shift to other battery materials like Sodium in the near future. CATL will probably be a leader in this area.
Posted by: Gryf | 07 May 2022 at 06:13 PM
Reliance is on way to produce sodium batteries and plans for massive peoduction to drive millions of 2 to 4 wheelers in India. This is only way out to bring down ev coat to reasonable level.
Posted by: Nirmalkumar | 07 May 2022 at 07:43 PM
@Nirmalumar,
Checked out Reliance Industries, owned by Mukesh Ambani. They have recently acquired Faradion which has researched Sodium Ion for years. Their current prototype has 160 Wh/kg and 3000 cycles. They expect to reach 200 Wh/kg soon. Not sure about the Gen 2 cathode chemistry (probably nickel based). They claim costs 25% less than LFP. Definitely a contender, particularly in the 2 wheel market.
(Reference: https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/why-sodium-is-mukesh-ambanis-big-battery-bet-in-the-ev-race/89084101).
Posted by: Gryf | 08 May 2022 at 03:43 PM
Another Reliance/Faradion reference: “Commercialisation of high energy density sodium-ion batteries: Faradion's journey and outlook”https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/ta/d1ta00376c
Posted by: Gryf | 08 May 2022 at 03:46 PM