NORTHVOLT AIMS FOR LARGE-SCALE COMMERCIALIZATION OF SODIUM BATTERIES

By Anne Bourgoin

Northvolt aims to be the first company to market sodium batteries on a large scale. The impact would be significant in the energy transition, but not necessarily on electric vehicles (EVs), since Northvolt has no plans to replace lithium in EV battery cells for the time being.

Sodium, which is available in greater quantities than lithium, is particularly interesting for energy storage solutions, especially in the so-called emerging markets of Africa, India and the Middle East, points out Peter Carlsson, co-founder of Northvolt.

While the first sodium batteries will not be intended for EVs, but primarily for energy storage, the CEO notes that “subsequent generations [of sodium-ion cells], offering higher energy density, could open up opportunities to enable cost-effective electric mobility solutions.”