Altech Batteries Ltd has confirmed that its CERENERGY® sodium-chloride solid-state batteries have passed a rigorous individual cell testing program, which validates their safety and performance under a range of extreme operating conditions.
Group managing director Iggy Tan said: “These tests are crucial for evaluating potential risks, mismanagement or external factors.
Extreme conditions
“Expert testing conducted by Fraunhofer IKTS, in accordance with international standards, has validated the robustness of CERENERGY® technology, showing no critical behaviour.
“The cells continued to operate for days or even weeks under extreme conditions that would cause typical lithium-ion cells to fail and require safety interventions.
“CERENERGY® batteries have proven to be safe under all conditions, ensuring uninterrupted operation without risk or performance degradation, even in the event of individual cell failure.”
Conducted by Altech’s joint venture partner Fraunhofer IKTS, the stress-testing protocol assessed individual cell performance beyond normal parameters to simulate failure scenarios, including over-discharge, overcharge, high C-rate operations and elevated temperatures.
No damage recorded
The cells successfully withstood over-discharge below 1.7 volts and overcharge at more than 10 volts for 15 hours, with no damage recorded.
Further tests across a range of charge and discharge rates – up to C/3 – demonstrated no degradation in performance or structural integrity.
Additional C-rate tests at elevated temperatures of up to 400 degrees Celsius also showed stable performance.
Thermal cycle testing between 300°C and ambient temperatures further confirmed the mechanical and electrical durability of the CERENERGY® technology. The batteries maintained full functionality and safety, even after multiple hot-cold cycles.
Importantly, cell failure and short-circuit tests indicated no leakage or casing failure, and system-wide performance remained stable even when individual cells were deliberately compromised.
The CERENERGY® battery is under commercial development via a joint venture with Fraunhofer IKTS, with plans to construct a 120 megawatt-hour production facility in Saxony, Germany.
Unlike conventional lithium-ion technologies, CERENERGY® batteries are lithium-free, fire- and explosion-proof, and designed for grid-scale storage in extreme environments.
Altech is also advancing its Silumina Anodes™ project in Saxony, targeting the high-performance electric vehicle battery materials market with proprietary silicon-alumina coated anodes.