Production of Liquid Metal Battery Begins

author: FutureCar Staff    

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 limitations, we often hear about advancements that never materialize. Examples include multi-layered solar panels, wave and tidal energy, and hydrogen fuel cells, which have struggled to compete with lower-cost, simpler, and proven technologies. However, one technology seems to be defying this trend: the liquid metal battery developed by startup Ambri.

Compared to lithium-ion batteries, which cost around $405 per kilowatt-hour, Ambri's battery technology is already poised to be disruptive with a cost of about half that. The construction method 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. The main challenge in scaling this technology could be sourcing antimony, one of the metals required for construction.

While Ambri can currently produce these batteries for $180 to $250 per kilowatt-hour, they aim to reduce the costs to around $20 to compete with "base load" power plants. They project that by 2030, their costs will significantly decrease, potentially enabling electrical grids to be powered entirely by renewables. However, 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