World’s largest sodium-ion battery energy storage project launches in China
The first part of the world’s largest sodium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) has been launched in China. State media Yicai Global and technology provider HiNa Battery reported last week that the 50MW, 100MWh section of the project in Qianjiang, Hubei province, has been completed and is now operational.
The first project of its kind in the world
Large-scale energy storage systems using sodium-ion batteries are still rare. In May 2024, the first large-scale project of this type in China was launched in the Guangxi-Zhuang region, with a current capacity of 10 MWh. Shortly after, Datang, one of China’s five major power generation companies, announced it was developing an installation with an annual generating capacity of 100 MW. This system will release stored energy during peak hours to meet the demand of about 12,000 households, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 13,000 tons per year. The first phase of this project has been completed.
The project includes 42 energy storage units and 21 integrating machines. It uses high-capacity 185 Ah sodium-ion batteries, with a 110-kilowatt booster station as an auxiliary facility. These batteries can be charged to 90% in just fifteen minutes.
The future of large-scale energy storage belongs to sodium-ion technology
Sodium-ion batteries perform better at lower temperatures, maintaining 85% charge and discharge efficiency even at -20°C, and offering 1500 charge-discharge cycles at 60°C. Cui Yongle, the project manager, highlights that these batteries also outperform ordinary lithium-ion batteries in impact resistance tests. Additionally, due to the wide availability of raw materials for sodium-ion batteries, their cost is much lower. Recently, China Southern Power Grid stated that this technology is ushering in a new era of affordable energy storage for large-scale applications.
The development and use of sodium-ion batteries can help reduce China’s reliance on imported raw materials for lithium-ion batteries. China has abundant sodium resources, making this technology particularly advantageous.
Source: yicaiglobal.com