By ESS news
The basic structure of Na-ion batteries is very similar to that of Li-ion batteries, consisting of positive and negative electrodes, an electrolyte and a separator. The return efficiency is comparable to Li-ion at more than 90 percent, but sodium’s larger particle size makes Na-ion batteries bulkier and heavier.
Hithium’s one-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) was the latest product announcement with a 162 Ah Na-ion cell, which the company claims has a lifespan of 20,000 cycles. Launched last year at the RE+ trade show in the United States, the product is positioned to address sudden load spikes in data centers while providing extended service life.
Even if this claim turns out to be true, a critical concern remains: Hithium has not made public the data necessary to assess power density, and Na-ion inherently has a lower power density than Li-ion – a significant drawback for the intended application of ensuring power quality, but not an absolute barrier.
Earlier in 2025, CATL launched its Naxtra Na-ion cell aimed at the electric vehicle (EV) market, with a gravimetric energy density of 175 Wh/kg – very close to average lithium iron phosphate (LFP) – and a charging speed at 5 C. HiNa launched a similar product with an energy density of 165 Wh/kg. However, the most advanced LFP batteries achieve 205 Wh/kg and charge at 12 C. This means that even at their new parameters, Na-ion will have to be relatively cheaper than the average LFP and substantially cheaper than the very latest LFP to break the niche status.
To read further, visit our ESS news website.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the author pv magazine.
This content is copyrighted and may not be reused. If you would like to collaborate with us and reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
Popular content
