TapTechNews, May 11 - According to State Grid Southern Power Grid, the Volin Sodium-ion Battery Storage Station in Nanning, Guangxi has officially commenced operation. This marks the first deployment of a 10MWh sodium-ion battery storage facility in China's new energy storage sector, representing the first large-scale application of sodium-ion battery storage technology in the country.
TapTechNews Note: New energy storage refers to the storage of energy through electrochemical or physical storage technologies. Sodium-ion batteries, similar to lithium-ion batteries, work on the principle of converting electrical energy to chemical energy and vice versa during charging and discharging processes.
The facility has a capacity of 10 megawatt-hours (MWh) and is expected to produce 7.3 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 5,000 tons and meeting the annual electricity needs of 3,500 households.
According to CCTV, among the new energy storage projects currently operational in China, lithium-ion battery storage accounts for 97.4%. With advancements in sodium-ion battery technology, it is expected to complement and effectively substitute lithium-ion batteries.
Li Yongqi, a technical expert at Southern Power Grid Energy Storage Company, mentioned that sodium-ion batteries feature fast charging capabilities, able to charge up to 90% in just 12 minutes, and can operate in temperatures ranging from -40°C to +80°C, making them particularly suitable for energy storage needs in cold regions. Sodium-ion batteries are anticipated to become the cost-effective electrochemical storage technology, accelerating the trend of large-scale, centralized new energy storage stations, and promoting the high-ratio consumption of wind and solar energy.