Production Begins for Liquid Metal Battery

author: FutureCar Staff    

The news is filled with promises of new clean energy technologies, but many of them never make it past the development stage. Whether it's due to cost, production issues, or scalability problems, we are often left disappointed by industry breakthroughs that never materialize. Technologies like multi-layered solar panels, wave and tidal energy, and hydrogen fuel cells are all real, but they struggle to compete with lower-cost and proven alternatives.

However, one technology seems to be defying this trend. Ambri, a startup, is set to introduce liquid metal batteries to the electrical grid next year. With lithium-ion battery installations costing around $405 per kilowatt-hour, Ambri's battery technology is already poised to be disruptive, costing about half of that. The construction method is simpler than lithium-ion batteries, using molten metal electrodes and a molten salt electrolyte. Not only is this 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.

However, scaling this technology may face challenges due to the sourcing of antimony, one of the metals required for construction. Despite being able to produce the batteries for $180 to $250 per kilowatt-hour, Ambri needs to further reduce costs to around $20 to compete with traditional "base load" power plants. The company projects that by 2030, they will achieve this cost target, potentially paving the way for a renewable-powered electrical grid.

Liquid metal batteries are not the only nontraditional battery technology attempting to address this problem, however. Another promising energy storage technology on the horizon is phase-change materials.

FutureCar Staff