Nacelle: Launch of the first independent sodium-ion production line in Germany
Milestone for German battery technology
Nacelle GmbH, a pioneer in battery technology, announced the commissioning of its pilot line for the production of sodium-ion batteries. This makes Nacelle the first German manufacturer to produce and upscale this innovative battery technology in Germany outside the academic environment.
Nacelle
Milestone for German battery technology
Nacelle's new pilot line marks a significant step forward in the development and production of sodium-ion batteries. As the first manufacturer in Germany to produce on its own premises and not in research institutes, Nacelle is demonstrating that the technology has a high potential and can be produced on a large scale in the future.
Advantages of sodium-ion batteries
Dr. Marius Schmidt, head of the battery laboratory at Nacelle, explained the numerous advantages of sodium-ion batteries: "Compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, our sodium-ion batteries are designed to be safer and require less energy to manufacture. They are also much more fault-tolerant when it comes to overcharging and deep discharging, which increases the service life and reliability of the batteries."
Focus on sustainability and innovation
Sodium-ion batteries offer a more environmentally friendly alternative to lithium-ion batteries, as sodium is more abundant and less expensive. The lower energy requirements during production also contribute to the sustainability of this technology. "With our new pilot line, we are focusing on innovation and sustainability and making a contribution to the energy transition," emphasized Schmidt.
The new sodium-ion-batteries from Nacelle are characterized by comparable performance to the proven lithium-iron-phosphate batteries. According to scientific consensus and our own experience, using sodium instead of lithium as a charge carrier reduces the risk of short circuits and fire hazards, particularly in the event of overcharging or deep discharge, which significantly improves the batteries' safety.
They offer the added benefit of more sustainable and safer energy storage. Compared to lithium, sodium is abundant and evenly distributed on Earth, allowing for a more stable and environmentally friendly supply chain. Furthermore, unlike lithium, sodium is also produced in Europe as a refined carbonate or hydroxide.
A key aspect of this innovation is Nacelle's vision to build a fully European supply chain and drive vertical integration to optimize value creation as needed. This not only promotes the regional economy but also reduces dependence on non-European suppliers and strengthens Europe's strategic autonomy in the field of energy storage.
In the coming months, Nacelle plans to complete and fully operate a pilot line for pouch cells. These pouch cells will be able to efficiently store electricity from both the grid and solar cells. This will create the basis for the production of batteries that are versatile and can contribute to stabilizing and increasing the efficiency of renewable energy sources.
Future plans and scaling
In early 2025, Nacelle plans to scale up production to larger battery cells and continuously increase capacity. "Our goal is to further optimize sodium-ion technology and make it available for broad application," said Schmidt. "We see enormous potential in this technology, not only for use in industrial applications but also especially for stabilizing the electricity supply in the future. We plan the first application of our cells at testing customers in 2025 and a wider roll-out of this novel technology in 2026."
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