cerenergy batteries, also known as sodium-nickel chloride batteries, are based on inexpensive and readily available raw materials. This means that no critical raw materials such as lithium or cobalt are used. High-purity alumina oxide is used for the ceramic solid-state electrolyte and mainly common salt and nickel are used as the cathode medium.
These ceramic batteries are also fire and explosion-proof. They are suitable for a wide temperature range from minus 20 °C to plus 60 °C, guarantee high performance and durability regardless of the ambient temperature and do not require complex external temperature management. The researchers at Fraunhofer IKTS have calculated that the manufacturing costs of cerenergy batteries will be 40 % lower than those of comparable lithium-ion batteries. Scientific studies have also shown that there is virtually no ageing with this type of battery. The typical processes that limit the service life of lithium batteries do not take place at all with the cerenergy battery due to its design.
These batteries are not only suitable for storing renewable energy, but also for industry and private households. They can also be used as energy storage devices to provide a buffer between power generation and power consumption. They are also interesting in megaparks for energy suppliers to compensate for fluctuations in the grids. In addition, such high-performance batteries are an indispensable part of the charging infrastructure for e-mobility. A first line of the planned battery factory for 100 MWh/a at the Schwarze Pumpe site in Saxony is set to produce 10,000 battery modules per year, each with a capacity of 10 kWh. "The environmentally friendly and safe batteries with their significantly longer service life compared to lithium batteries have the potential to revolutionize the market for stationary batteries," says Uwe Ahrens, CEO of Altech Advanced Materials.
