Production Begins for Liquid Metal Battery

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【Summary】Ambri, a startup, is set to put liquid metal batteries into service on the electrical grid next year. These batteries are cheaper and simpler than lithium ion batteries, with a construction method using molten metal electrodes and a molten salt electrolyte. The battery is durable, non-flammable, and retains 95% of its capacity after 20 years. The only challenge is sourcing antimony, one of the required metals.

FutureCar Staff Aug 15, 2023 6:52 AM PT

Production Begins for Liquid Metal Battery

The news is filled with promises of new clean energy technologies, but many of these innovations never make it to the production stage. Whether it's due to cost, production issues, or scalability challenges, we often hear about breakthroughs that never materialize. For example, multi-layered solar panels, wave and tidal energy, and hydrogen fuel cells are all real technologies, but they have struggled to compete with lower-cost and more established alternatives.

However, one technology seems to be defying this trend - the liquid metal battery developed by startup Ambri. Ambri plans to deploy these batteries on the electrical grid next year, and they have the potential to be truly disruptive. With a cost of about half that of lithium-ion batteries, Ambri's battery technology is already more affordable, coming in at around $405 per kilowatt-hour.

Not only is the construction method simpler than lithium-ion batteries, but it also offers other advantages. The liquid metal battery uses molten metal electrodes and a molten salt electrolyte, making it more durable and non-flammable. Furthermore, the battery is expected to retain 95% of its capacity even after 20 years of use, indicating its long-term reliability.

However, there is one potential obstacle to scaling this technology - the sourcing of antimony, one of the metals required for the battery's construction. Despite this challenge, Ambri remains confident in their ability to bring down costs significantly. Currently, they can produce the batteries for $180 to $250 per kilowatt-hour, but they aim to reach a cost of $20 per kilowatt-hour by 2030. This would make the technology cost-competitive with "base load" power plants and pave the way for a renewable-powered electrical grid.

While liquid metal batteries show promise, they are not the only nontraditional battery technology being developed to address energy storage challenges. Another interesting technology on the horizon is phase-change materials. These materials have the ability to store and release energy as they change from one phase to another, offering a potential solution for efficient energy storage.