Altech long-term SNC battery data shows ultra-low fail rate

Altech Batteries says batteries utilising similar technology to its sodium-nickel-chloride batteries deployed in South Africa up to 15 years ago have exhibited failure rates of just 0.6% to 1.5%. The company says those rates blitz the failure rates of lithium and lead-acid batteries that typically fail at rates of 3% to 5% and 8 to 12% respectively.

Altech gleaned the data from thousands of partner AMPower’s sodium-nickel-chloride (SNC) batteries that were deployed in South Africa up to 15 years ago.

Operating in telecom towers, utility substations and industrial uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems under extreme heat of sometimes more than 50°C, unstable grids and remote conditions, the SNC batteries far outperform lithium-ion batteries according to the company.

The data spans more than 15 years of real-world service and shows SNC battery installations routinely exceeding 20-year lifespans with minimal capacity fade, zero maintenance and no thermal runaway incidents. 

The SNC batteries’ solid-state ceramic design, fully sealed architecture and molten sodium/nickel-chloride reaction within a beta-alumina electrolyte eliminates dendrite growth, corrosion and venting risks which are common weaknesses in most legacy battery chemistries.

Key advantages of SNC batteries include an exceptionally high level of redundancy, where individual cell failure does not compromise system operation. 

They are also fireproof, explosion-proof and ATEX-certified, making them ideal for hazardous environments according to management. ATEX certification is a European Union directive for equipment and protective systems used in potentially explosive atmospheres, ensuring they are safe for use in the EU.

Altech Batteries managing director Iggy Tan said: “It’s great to see real service-life data confirming the reliability and consistency of SNC battery technology. These results back up our long-held understanding of how well the batteries perform under harsh conditions, including high temperatures and frequent power disruptions.” 

The SNC battery design is typically 100% recyclable and incurs a  50% lighter carbon footprint than lithium-ion batteries, while containing none of the usual critical metals such as lithium, cobalt, copper or toxic metals such as lead and cadmium.

To complement the list of advantages of going down the SNC route for a power storage system, the solid state SNC batteries can easily proclaim the lowest 15-year total cost of ownership against peers, due largely to not requiring cooling, ventilation or component replacement.

Many early-2000s installations remain operational today without electrolyte replacement. The technology underpins Altech’s CERENERGY grid-scale solid-state battery platform, which is now taking hold in Europe for renewable storage and hydrogen infrastructure.

The reliability and other positive performance, operational and low cost factors constitute a technological achievement that positions Altech’s CERENERGY battery design as a safe, long-life, low-maintenance cornerstone for global energy storage and critical infrastructure. All of which comes at a time when the world is clamouring for new energy solutions. 

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