With the in-depth research and development of scientific research institutions and enterprises, the technology of sodium-ion batteries is expected to continue to innovate to meet the current technical challenges. This mainly includes increasing energy density to meet the demand for high energy density batteries in electric vehicles, energy storage, and other fields. At the same time, enhancing cycle stability is also an important R&D direction to ensure that the battery can maintain stable performance during long-term use. In addition, cost reduction is also one of the key points of technological innovation, through the optimization of production processes and large-scale production, reduce the manufacturing cost of sodium-ion batteries, and improve their competitiveness in the market.
At present, due to the lack of comprehensive advantages of sodium-ion batteries due to cost and other advantages, according to the historical price trend of lithium carbonate, the next few years will still be the low-price cycle of lithium prices, but it is also a window period for the innovation and development of sodium-ion technology. According to the Prospective Industry Research Institute, promoting the research and development of low-cost, high-density, long-life and high-stability sodium-ion battery technology will inevitably be the long-term research direction of the development of the sodium-ion battery industry in the future.
According to the report of the Prospective Industry Research Institute, with the gradual increase in the production of sodium-ion batteries in China, the gradual implementation of China's sodium-ion battery energy storage power station projects, taking the lead in replacing lithium batteries in the field of energy storage, also shows that sodium-ion battery energy storage is the core area of sodium-ion battery application in China. In terms of application scenarios, with the acceleration of the global energy transition and the advancement of carbon neutrality goals, the demand for energy storage systems is growing. With its excellent low-temperature performance, over-discharge resistance, high safety and strong environmental protection, sodium ions have shown broad application prospects in the field of energy storage. Especially in large-scale energy storage systems, sodium-ion batteries are expected to become an important supplement to lithium-ion batteries. In addition, the new energy vehicle market is expanding, and the demand for batteries is also growing. The application of sodium-ion batteries in the field of new energy vehicles is also gradually increasing, especially in the fields of low-speed electric vehicles, two-wheeled vehicles and A0 class vehicles.
In terms of low-temperature application scenarios, sodium-ion batteries can work normally between -40°C and 80°C, and have good wide temperature characteristics. At a temperature of -20°C, the capacity retention rate of some sodium-ion battery products is close to 90%, while lithium iron phosphate batteries and lead-acid batteries can only reach 70% and 48%. Because sodium-ion batteries can still maintain excellent performance in low temperature environments, they may become a key factor in further promoting the popularization of new energy vehicles in cold regions.
Figure: Comparison of -20°C capacity retention rate of sodium-ion batteries with other batteries
According to the Prospective Industry Research Institute, in the short term, sodium-ion batteries cannot completely replace lithium batteries for the time being, but in some subdivisions such as power grid/household energy storage, data center UPS, special or public relations electric vehicles, medium-range household electric vehicles and other specific application scenarios with low energy density requirements can meet the substitution and supplementation, and the size of the market application scale is greatly affected by lithium carbonate price fluctuations. In the long run, the state attaches great importance to the research and development and application of sodium-ion battery technology, and relevant departments have issued a number of support policies. Policies have been increased at all levels to promote the development of future sodium-ion battery technology to the goals of cutting-edge technology research, application in subdivided fields, and large-scale production and application. If the research and development of sodium battery technology can achieve technical bottlenecks in performance and cost, and even achieve corner overtaking in the solid-state field, it is expected that the replacement role of sodium batteries for lithium batteries will become stronger and stronger in the future.
At present, the competitive landscape of the sodium-ion battery market is gradually becoming clear, and many companies are actively deploying and promoting the industrialization process. CATL, HiNa, Transimage Technology and other enterprises have become industry leaders, through technology research and development and production advantages, the launch of high-performance, low-cost products, occupy a large market share. These enterprises have a layout in the R&D and production of key raw materials such as cathode materials, anode materials, and electrolytes, forming a relatively complete industrial chain. According to market research, it is expected that by 2025, the potential market space of sodium-ion batteries will exceed 200GWh, and it is expected to take the lead in the fields of energy storage, low-speed transportation and some low-endurance passenger vehicles with low energy density requirements and strong cost sensitivity.
The development trend of the sodium-ion battery industry shows the characteristics of continuous growth of market demand, technological progress to promote industrial development, continuous improvement of the industrial chain, policy support and promotion, and gradually clear competition pattern. In the future, with the continuous progress of technology and the continuous expansion of the market, sodium-ion batteries are expected to become an important supplement to lithium-ion batteries, showing broad application prospects in the fields of energy storage and new energy vehicles.
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2024 China Sodium-ion Battery Report (1)
2024 China Sodium-ion Battery Report (2)
2024 China Sodium-ion Battery Report (3)
2024 China Sodium-ion Battery Report (4)
2024 China Sodium-ion Battery Report (5)
