Production of Liquid Metal Battery Begins

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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, using molten metal electrodes and a molten salt electrolyte. They are durable, non-flammable, and expected to retain 95% of their capacity after 20 years. However, the cost needs to come down to compete with traditional power plants, which is projected to happen by 2030.

FutureCar Staff Aug 13, 2023 8:44 PM PT

Production of Liquid Metal Battery Begins

The news is filled with promises of breakthroughs in clean energy generation, but many of these technologies never make it to production. Whether it's due to cost issues, production challenges, or scalability problems, we are often left disappointed. Technologies like multi-layered solar panels, wave and tidal energy, and hydrogen fuel cells have all shown potential but have struggled to surpass established, cheaper, and proven technologies. However, there is one technology that seems to be defying this trend: the liquid metal battery.

Startup company Ambri is set to put their liquid metal battery into service on the electrical grid next year. With lithium-ion battery installations costing around $405 per kilowatt-hour, Ambri's battery technology is already positioned to be disruptive, costing about half that amount. The construction method of the liquid metal battery is simpler than lithium-ion batteries, using molten metal electrodes and a molten salt electrolyte. Not only is it 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. The only potential hurdle in scaling this technology is the sourcing of antimony, one of the metals required for its construction.

While Ambri can currently produce these batteries at a cost of $180 to $250 per kilowatt-hour, they need to bring the costs down to around $20 to compete with "base load" power plants. However, the company projects significant cost reductions and aims to reach this target by 2030. Achieving this goal would put electrical grids on track to be powered entirely by renewable energy sources. Liquid metal batteries are not the only nontraditional battery technology attempting to solve this problem, though. Another promising energy storage technology on the horizon is phase-change materials.