Putting the Na-ion in Nation

­The COVID-19 pandemic saw the global supply chains that had been built up over years and even decades, breaking down. Since then, many countries have attempted to reshape those links to make supply chains even shorter, more reliable and less susceptible to events happening in areas they have no control over, and that usually means trying as much as possible to confine them to the country itself, or its very closest allies. Research institutions are working very hard to develop new technology that can compete with existing products without using materials that are difficult to source from trusted nations.

One example of this innovation is in energy storage, where researchers are working on different battery chemistries and technology. There are various organizations who have had success. For example, Batri and Swansea University. The two organizations worked together to build a new cylindrical sodium-ion (Na-ion) cell, manufactured from local materials from Wales. The design is believed to be the first of that type of cell made in the UK using fully UK sourced and manufactured anode and cathode materials.

This achievement shows what is possible when UK science, UK manufacturing, and ambition come together,” said Dr Stephen Hughes, CTO of Batri. “We’re unlocking a sodium-ion ecosystem that starts in Wales and is aiming to reach global markets. The need for safe, robust, and cost-effective alternatives to lead-acid and lower performance lithium-ion is enormous, particularly in applications where resilience, sustainability, and supply-chain security are critical. Producing a cylindrical sodium-ion cell using UK-made anode and cathode materials is not just a scientific milestone, it is a strategic one.”

Sodium-ion technology is emerging as a viable alternative to the widely used lithium-ion chemistry. Although the larger sodium molecules can’t store quite the same amount of charge as Li-ion, Na-ion is cheaper as the raw materials are more widely available, unlike lithium deposits. Na-ion batteries are also safer, which along with the lower internal resistance, allows faster charging. They can be discharged to 0%, which is a problem for lithium batteries, and they are more sustainable, as they don’t require cobalt, nickel, and copper. They are also easy to integrate as they can be used in the same form factors as lithium batteries, so can be used as drop-in replacements.

Batri is now scaling up both material manufacture and in-house cell-building capability for the Na-ion cells in Wales. Innovation like this shows the potential of Na-ion technology and demonstrates that the batteries can be manufactured from the raw materials to the final product in one small country with a population of only 3 million people.