Is Lithium-ion the future of utility scale BESS? Na, Sodium-ion may also play a crucial role

With the global shift towards renewable energy, lithium-ion chemistry has proven to be a critical and dominant force in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) adoption.  However, with growing interest and competition in storage, the emergence of alternative chemistries like sodium-ion presents new opportunities which could reshape the future of energy storage. 

A key advantage of sodium-ion technology lies in its abundance and accessibility. Sodium is approximately a thousand times more abundant than lithium, which translates to potentially significant cost reductions in raw material procurement. When produced in scale, some reports that sodium-ion cells could be up to 20-30% cheaper than LFP batteries, a lithium chemistry subset which currently experiences increased adoption in BESS. 

Concerning performance, sodium-ion batteries have also shown promising advancement. Its gravimetric energy density was noted to range from 75-160 Wh/kg, with manufacturers like CATL demonstrating 160 Wh/kg capabilities in systems under development. Furthermore, future projections for sodium technology suggest there is a potential 200 Wh/kg, potentially rivalling the performance of lithium chemistry’s 126–285 Wh/kg. Moreover, where sodium-ion batteries offer distinct advantages for utility-scale BESS applications is its ability to demonstrate superior safety characteristics. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion-based cells are known to be capable of discharging to zero volts, enabling safer transportation, storage, and operation.