Altech “salt” battery cell tests exceed energy expectations

Altech Batteries says cells for its “Cerenergy ABS60” sodium chloride battery prototype have shown “higher-than-expected” energy capacities during a testing program at several Fraunhofer IKTS facilities in Germany.

The company has today confirmed it has completed the fabrication, assembly and initialisation of all 240 cells for the first prototype at its German pilot plant and expects to mount the finished modules into a full “BatteryPack” next week. It carried out identical testing at the different sites in Hermsdorf and Arnstadt to ensure optimal distribution of cathode material across all of the cells.

In collaboration with Fraunhofer – one of the world's leading applied science research organisations – Altech introduced some key improvements to the positive electrodes in its cells during the fabrication of two 60kWh Cerenergy ABS60 BatteryPack prototypes. The enhancements were made in a bid to increase energy capacity and reduce nickel content.

Altech says its "V2" design allowed for faster charging and discharging, reducing unit costs. Testing revealed that the majority of cells showed higher-than-anticipated energy capacities, effectively confirming the superior electrode design.

The cell contacting system (CCS) responsible for interconnecting the individual battery cells in a battery module has been completed and delivered to Fraunhofer IKTS in Dresden for the assembly of the five 12kWh modules, each comprising 48 cells. The company says the welding of the cells to the CCS is  underway using a specialised tool designed by Xenon to ensure efficient welding and quality control.

At Hermsdorf, the cells underwent detailed scanning with an X-ray microtomography device, offering a glimpse into their interiors even after they were given an air-tight seal. That step is a critical part of the process and ensures the most uniform material distribution within the cells, guaranteeing the optimal alignment of their components.

Altech Batteries managing director and chief executive officer Iggy Tan said: “The fabrication of two 60kWh CERENERGY® ABS60 BatteryPack prototypes marks a significant milestone. This progress paves the way for the completion of the ABS60 BatteryPack prototype, ready for testing and demonstrations, helping Altech secure offtake agreements and financing for the 120MWh CERENERGY® battery plant in Germany”.

The company’s modules are stacked and housed in a thermally-insulated stainless steel casing, with a battery management system at the base. Designed for thermal self-sufficiency, the insulation hood maintains the system’s heat efficiently, with a vacuum insulation layer ensuring ambient temperature on the outer surface.

Each module is forklift-compatible, facilitating easy transport and installation into the GridPack.

Altech says its Cerenergy batteries, which use the sodium ions found in common table salt, offer high security at a low cost for the stationary energy storage market. The company believes a significant cost advantage lies in the reduced hourly kilowatt (kW) cost when the plant operates at its full capacity of 120MWh.

It projects a cost of just €0.06 (AU10c) per kWh during the battery's lifetime, in contrast to lithium-ion batteries, which cost €0.149 (AU25c) per kWh.

Altech’s innovations offer a glimpse into the future of mass battery storage as renewable energy solutions gather pace. If it is successful in delivering a large-scale battery at a fraction of the cost of its lithium-ion counterpart, then it may just solve one of the more pressing problems facing the green revolution, by making renewable energy usable on a 24/7 basis.

The company’s news today not only proved there was more energy in its battery cells, but also breathed some of it into the activity around its ASX share price, which jumped 10 per cent to an intraday trading high of 5.5c as more than 3.2 million units changed hands.

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