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 more durable than lithium-ion batteries, with a construction method using molten metal electrodes and a molten salt electrolyte. The only challenge is sourcing enough antimony for production. Ambri aims to bring costs down to compete with traditional power plants by 2030. Another interesting energy storage technology is phase-change materials.

FutureCar Staff Aug 15, 2023 4:36 PM PT

Production of Liquid Metal Battery Begins

The news is filled with promises of new clean energy technologies, but many of them never make it to the production stage. Whether it's due to cost issues, production challenges, or scalability problems, we often hear about breakthroughs that never become a reality. 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, simpler, and more established technologies. However, one technology that seems to be defying this trend is the liquid metal battery, which startup Ambri plans to deploy on the electrical grid next year.

Ambri's battery technology is already poised to disrupt the market, with a cost of around half that of lithium ion batteries, which currently cost around $405 per kilowatt-hour. The construction method of Ambri's batteries is also simpler, using molten metal electrodes and a molten salt electrolyte. Not only is this design more durable, but it's also non-flammable and resistant to degradation over time. Testing results show that even after 20 years, the battery is expected to retain 95% of its capacity. The only potential obstacle to scaling this technology is sourcing antimony, one of the metals required for construction.

While Ambri can currently produce their batteries for $180 to $250 per kilowatt-hour, they need to reduce the costs to around $20 in order to compete with "base load" power plants. However, the company projects that costs will significantly decrease and reach this target by 2030. Achieving this milestone would set electrical grids on a path to being powered entirely by renewable energy sources. Liquid metal batteries are not the only unconventional batteries attempting to solve this problem, though. Another promising energy storage technology on the horizon is phase-change materials.