Metal Battery Production Begins

author: FutureCar Staff    

The world of clean energy generation is full of promises and claims, but many of these technologies never make it to production. Whether it's due to cost issues, production challenges, or scalability limitations, we are often left disappointed with industry breakthroughs that never materialize. Multi-layered solar panels, wave and tidal energy, and hydrogen fuel cells are all real technologies, but they struggle to surpass lower cost, simpler, and proven alternatives. However, one technology seems to be defying this trend - the liquid metal battery developed by startup Ambri.

Ambri's battery technology is already poised to disrupt the market, with installation costs at about half the price of lithium ion batteries, which currently stand at around $405 per kilowatt-hour. The construction method of Ambri's batteries is also simpler, utilizing molten metal electrodes and a molten salt electrolyte. Not only is this design more durable, but it is also non-flammable and resistant to degradation over time. According to the company's testing results, the battery is expected to retain 95% of its capacity even after 20 years of use. The only potential challenge in scaling this technology could be sourcing antimony, one of the required metals for construction.

While Ambri can produce their batteries for $180 to $250 per kilowatt-hour, they still need to further reduce costs to around $20 to compete with "base load" power plants. However, the company projects that their costs will significantly decrease and reach this target by 2030. Achieving this milestone would set electrical grids on a path towards being powered entirely by renewable energy sources. It's worth noting that liquid metal batteries are not the only nontraditional battery technology attempting to solve this problem. Another promising energy storage technology on the horizon is phase-change materials.

FutureCar Staff