Altech Batteries has passed significant milestones with its CERENERGY sodium nickel chloride battery technology, marking a major step towards commercialising a safer, more efficient and durable alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
The company’s prototype cells have completed more than 650 charge-discharge cycles without any capacity loss, showcasing exceptional material stability and a potential lifespan exceeding 15 years.
This level of durability significantly reduces battery replacement costs and enhances reliability for stationary energy storage systems, a critical consideration for grid and renewable energy applications.
The cells achieved near-100 per cent Coulombic efficiency, indicating minimal energy loss from side reactions, and an energy efficiency of up to 92 per cent, surpassing the 70–80 per cent typical of competing technologies, such as flow batteries.
A flow battery stores energy in liquid electrolytes contained in external tanks, rather than in its solid electrodes, such as conventional batteries. These liquids are pumped through a central electrochemical cell, where chemical reactions at inert electrodes generate or store electricity.
With a nominal capacity of 100 ampere hours (Ah) and 250 watt hours (Wh), the cells support multiple daily cycles at 25 amps (A) within a 20–80 per cent state of charge range, making them ideal for renewable integration, peak shaving and backup power.
Abuse testing, including overcharge to 4 volts (V), deep discharge to 0.2V and thermal cycling up to 300°C, confirmed the cells’ safety, with no gassing, leakage or rupture.
Unlike lithium-ion batteries, CERENERGY’s sodium nickel chloride chemistry avoids flammable electrolytes and runaway risks, ensuring suitability for large-scale grid storage.
The company’s 60kWh ABS60 battery pack prototype also validated real-world performance, handling diverse load profiles, high-current pulses up to 50 amps and thermal variations.
Over 110 cycles, it achieved about an 88 per cent round-trip efficiency with no capacity fade and minimal increase in internal resistance, signalling long-term durability and low ownership costs.
The results position CERENERGY as a competitive solution for grid operators and renewable energy projects, offering high efficiency and robust cycling capability.
Altech Batteries group managing director Iggy Tan said “These results confirm CERENERGY’s robustness and readiness for market adoption. Demonstrating long cycle life, high efficiency and unmatched safety, we are now strongly positioned to deliver a competitive and sustainable alternative for grid and industrial energy storage.”
Altech is also advancing its 120MWh production facility in Saxony, Germany, supported by preliminary approval of a massive €46.7 million (A$83.2 million) conditional German federal government grant under its STARK program, which will cover 30 per cent of capital expenditure to support its CERENERGY battery project.
STARK aims to structurally transform Germany's former coal-mining regions into model regions for sustainable and green economies. The grant, which awaits final approval in the 2026 German budget, underscores the project’s alignment with Europe’s push for sustainable energy solutions.
Altech’s partnership with leading European solid-state battery manufacturer Fraunhofer IKTS and its lithium-free, cobalt-free technology further enhance its appeal, eliminating exposure to critical metal price volatility.
Fraunhofer IKTS is one of the world's leading research institutes in the field of complex ceramic-based systems for energy-efficient separation processes.
In parallel, Altech is progressing its Silumina anodes project, a high-capacity silicon-based battery material for electric vehicles, with plans to build an 8000 tonne per annum plant in Saxony.
A pilot plant is under construction, and NDAs are in place with German and North American automakers, signalling strong market interest.
Altech Batteries’ CERENERGY technology is proving its mettle with unmatched durability, efficiency and safety, positioning it as a game-changer for grid storage.
Backed by significant German funding and a clear path to commercialisation, Altech is set to power the renewable energy transition while also advancing its innovative Silumina anodes project for the electric vehicle market.
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By Doug Bright
