Researchers at the University of Sydney have built a new cheap sodium battery with four times more energy storage capacity than a lithium battery.
The new battery is environmentally friendly and made using low-cost sodium-sulphur, a type of molten salt extracted from sea water.
Scientist have altered the electrodes of the sulphur to improved its reactivity, making it “super-high capacity and ultra-long life at room temperature”.
“When the sun isn’t shining and the breeze isn’t blowing, we need high-quality storage solutions that don’t cost the Earth and are easily accessible on a local or regional level.”
– Dr. Shenlong Zhao, University of Sydney
Today, most batteries are built with rare earth metals like lithium, graphite, and cobalt, which are very financially costly.
Currently, the EU will need 18 times more lithium to achieve climate neutrality by 2030, and nearly 60 times more by 2050.
