US Betting Big on Sodium-ion Batteries To Counter China's Dominance

In a bid to gain a competitive edge against China, the United States is currently investing in research and development (R&D) initiatives aimed at making sodium-ion batteries that could potentially end China's near monopoly on crucial battery-making elements, reported the Wall Street Journal.

Sodium-ion batteries rely on soda ash, a resource that is readily available in US. According to Statista, the world's natural soda ash reserves amounted to approximately 25 billion metric tonnes in 2023. Of this, 23 billion metric tonnes could be found in US alone. Researchers say that this relatively low-cost and less water-intensive battery could serve as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries in the future.

According to a BBC report, "Lithium extraction using evaporation ponds, as is done in countries such as Chile, comes with a high water footprint. Studies show that contaminants may be released into the environment during the evaporation process, potentially affecting nearby communities." Even when sourced from rocks, the environmental cost tends to be rather high. "For every tonne of lithium mined during hard rock mining, approximately 15 tonnes of CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere," added the report.

Considering these factors, researchers and scientists from around the world have been seeking ways to develop sodium-ion batteries that could compete with lithium-ion batteries. One of the major hurdles in this process is the low energy density of sodium-ion batteries. "While lithium batteries have energy densities between 150-220 Wh/kg (watt-hour per kilogram), sodium batteries have an lower energy density range of 140-160 Wh/kg," said the BBC report. This essentially means that it's unlikely that sodium-ion batteries will be commercially scaled for use in electric vehicles (EVs), considering that low energy density batteries are known to affect a vehicle's range.  

This nascent battery technology could still be a game changer for US and its allies, denting China's dominance over supply chains for lithium-ion batteries, noted the WSJ report. By advancing sodium-ion battery technology, US could pave the way for a "battery-based energy independence from China", Landon Mossburg, chief executive of a Denver-based green tech firm, was quoted as saying to WSJ. 

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Proponents of sodium-ion batteries have, for instance, highlighted its significance in certain applications, "such as large, stationary batteries for capturing energy when the sun shines and the wind blows, and feeding it back to the power grid when they don’t."

The larger goal, as far as US firms investing in this technology are concerned, continues to find out ways "to make battery packs for electric vehicles that are as energy-dense as the current standard for lower-cost EV batteries, known as lithium iron phosphate, or LFP." 

For sodium-ion batteries to become a viable alternative for EVs, it is critical that the rest of EV tech is also developing, say experts.

In terms of composition, sodium-ion batteries are similar to lithium ones, containing four major components—anode, cathode, electrolyte and separator. Thanks to sodium's natural abundance—23,600 parts per million (ppm) in the Earth's crust compared to lithium’s 20 ppm—the cost of extraction is significantly lower. Additionally, sodium batteries can use lower-cost components, such as aluminum foils instead of copper, further reducing expenses.

Recent breakthroughs have also managed to improve the charging cycle of sodium-ion batteries, with China achieving 6,000 cycles in 2023 by using a different type of electrode, noted the BBC report.

The push for sodium-ion battery technology has been gaining momentum in US, fuelled by bipartisan political support and federal incentives. A recent $50-million grant from the US Energy Department to a consortium of national laboratories and universities underscores the urgency and optimism surrounding this innovation, observed the WSJ report.

Noting how US has lucked out on previous occasions to gain a competitive edge over China in the field of battery technology, experts say that sodium-ion batteries could indeed give the country a third crack at the problem.