Competition in the energy storage space is really hotting up. Whilst Lithium-ion dominates, flow batteries and hydrogen storage can offer longer duration alternatives with flywheels and ultracapacitors offering punchy short duration, high power solutions. For many applications, a mix of storage technologies can actually provide the most competitive complete solution.
Technological advances are now making Sodium-ion batteries a realistic alternative to Lithium-ion. Sodium's main appeal is that it is a more abundant and environmentally friendly alternative to Lithium and has the potential to be rolled out at a far lower cost compared to Lithium batteries.
Hyperion Executive Search have recently been working with Sodium-ion battery company Faradion to recruit the talent they need to help develop this technology into a viable alternative to Lithium. This is a really exciting area so watch this space!
"One of the ongoing issues for batteries is cycle life, or how many times it can charge and discharge effectively," lead researcher Dr. Wenbin Luo. "We were able to build upon previous research to manufacture proof-of-concept battery cells to show the performance of this material, and it showed fantastic energy density and cycle life. "In addition, we developed the processes to cheaply and easily manufacture this material, which is a big part of making it attractive for commercialisation." The next step is to optimise the material to get maximum amount of cycles out of the batteries, which will be a key factor in the commercial viability of sodium-ion batteries. "With new materials and processing techniques we can focus on further development that will pave the way for the transition to commercialisation of this exciting and much-needed alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
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