Production of Liquid Metal Battery Begins

author: FutureCar Staff    

The news is filled with promises of revolutionary clean energy technologies, but many of these never make it past the development stage. Whether it's due to cost, production challenges, or scalability issues, we often hear about breakthroughs that never materialize. Examples of such technologies include multi-layered solar panels, wave and tidal energy, and hydrogen fuel cells. Despite their potential, these innovations struggle to surpass established, simpler, and more cost-effective alternatives. However, one technology that seems to be defying this trend is the liquid metal battery, which startup Ambri plans to implement on the electrical grid next year.

Compared to lithium-ion batteries that cost around $405 per kilowatt-hour, Ambri's battery technology is already positioned to disrupt the market with a cost of about half that amount. Additionally, the construction method of Ambri's batteries is simpler and involves 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 obstacle to scaling this technology is the availability of antimony, one of the metals required for its construction.

While Ambri can currently produce these batteries for $180 to $250 per kilowatt-hour, they aim to reduce costs to around $20 in order to compete with traditional "base load" power plants. Although this term is outdated, achieving this cost target by 2030 would pave the way for electrical grids powered entirely by renewables. However, liquid metal batteries are not the only unconventional energy storage technology being explored. Another promising solution on the horizon is phase-change materials.

FutureCar Staff