Ceramic solid-state battery »Cerenergy« is commercialized

The Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Dresden, Germany, and the Altech Group establish the joint venture Altech Batteries GmbH to commercialize the ceramic solid-state battery »Cerenergy« based on sodium nickel chloride developed at Fraunhofer IKTS. In the coming years, a battery factory is to be built at the Schwarze Pumpe site in Saxony. Fraunhofer IKTS holds a 25 percent stake in the joint venture. The institute will receive a research contract worth tens of millions from Altech to bring the technology to product maturity. The IKTS team is also involved in the accompanying economic feasibility study.
Sodium nickel chloride batteries are based on inexpensive and readily available raw materials. High-purity aluminimumoxide is used for the ceramic solid-state electrolyte, and common salt and nickel are predominantly used as the cathode medium. In addition, these ceramic batteries are fire- and explosion-proof. Calculations by IKTS have shown that the manufacturing costs of Cerenergy batteries will be 40 percent lower than those of comparable lithium-ion batteries.
© PHOTON