Day by day, the market produces better and better methods and modes for energy production and retention. One such technology is sodium-ion batteries, which use widely available materials (absent the currently ethically dubious elements in lithium-ion batteries . . . which may change as the U.S. looks to exploit its own deep reserves) and are complementary to their peers in the battery sector.
From New Atlas:
The materials for Natron’s sodium-ion chemistry can be procured through a reliable US-based domestic supply chain free from geopolitical disruption. The same cannot be said for common lithium-ion materials like cobalt and nickel.
Sodium-ion tech has received heightened interest in recent years as a more reliable, potentially cheaper energy storage medium. While its energy density lags behind lithium-ion, advantages such as faster cycling, longer lifespan and safer, non-flammable end use have made sodium-ion an attractive alternative, especially for stationary uses like data center and EV charger backup storage.
With sodium’s energy density lagging behind lithium’s, it’s unlikely that everyday Americans will see the former in consumer products such as their Teslas in the near term. But cost-effective and rapid energy storage has almost limitless uses (should the marketing be even half truthful). Sodium-ion battery banks could be used to buttress energy-starved regions during peak hours and stash the surplus from times of lower demand or from settings where fire safety is a prevailing concern (medicine, gas-handling, and heavy industry).
It’ll be fun to see what the market can cook up once the early adopters get to messing with the tech. And, as always with such things, Congress should try its best not to subsidize the technology out of existence.