ubi2d ago
kcarruthers

Peak Energy just shipped the US's first grid-scale sodium-ion battery: “first megawatt-hour scale battery to run entirely on passive cooling – no fans, pumps, or vents”

https://electrek.co/2025/07/30/peak-energy-us-first-grid-scale-sodium-ion-battery/

Aug 2 at 2:48amWeb
Show threadAndrew2d ago
@kcarruthers come on! We can decarbonise. Sodium is plentiful, get after it #auspol
Show threadStarraven2d ago

@kcarruthers

Hope they make these for home solar off-gridding use soon.

Show threadPaul Kuyper 🇺🇸2d ago
@starraven agree. As far as I know, no one is building scalable sodium-ion batteries for home solar right now.
Show thread@iveyline2d ago
@kcarruthers Impressive. Oil and gas are literally becoming dinosaurs.
Show thread�2d ago
@Iveyline @kcarruthers I see what you did there.
Show threadVulcanTourist2d ago

@kcarruthers

Perfect for powering those AI farms that need all the fans, pumps, and vents they can get.

Show threadStefan Ihringer2d ago
@kcarruthers This is what us Germans should have been building. Instead we have an administration of gas lobbyists and activists of yesteryear who think renewables are too cheap and need to be made less „economically viable“. 😠
Show threadbluemilla2d ago
@compfu @kcarruthers
Research and pilot-projects are running since decades. We call it #RedoxFlowBatterien
https://www.ict.fraunhofer.de/de/komp/ae/rfb.html
Redox-Flow-Batterie - Fraunhofer ICT

Fraunhofer-Institut für Chemische Technologie ICT
Show threadMartin Vermeer FCD2d ago
@together @compfu @kcarruthers Yes, though flow batteries are qualitatively different, in a way that favours stationary (grid) use: the reagents are in external tanks. Unlimited kWh. The sodium ion batteries seem not to be of this kind, which limits there use to shorter time scales.
Show threadStefan Ihringer2d ago

@together This sounds interesting. From somebody who doesn't know anything about this technology and doesn't work in science research either I can only say: it would be great if this wasn't a testing lab for a few kW but something that (if it's good) would already be rolled out at scale or commercially.

I know about the importance of research and that's not to blame Fraunhofer or the scientists... It has more to do with years of setting the wrong priorities on the political stage.

Show threadbluemilla2d ago
@compfu
Here some examples: https://1stflow-energy.com/
Redox flow battery storage - safe, durable, scalable - 1st Flow Energy Solutions

Vanadium redox flow energy storage for the energy transition ✓ Unlimited charging cycles ✓ Non-flammable ✓ Sustainable ✓ Made in Germany

Show threadStefan Ihringer2d ago
@together Awesome! Thanks
Show threadGrumble 🇺🇸 🇺🇦2d ago
@kcarruthers When that eventually catches on fire, the fire department is going to create an amazing light show.
Show threadMartin Vermeer FCD2d ago
@grumble209 @kcarruthers No worse than lithium-ion batteries. There is no *metallic* sodium, like in sodium-cooled fast breeders: now *that* holds the promise of fireworks...
Show threadNA2d ago
@kcarruthers I can literally see a vent in the posted picture.
Show threadBruce Toews2d ago
@gtbray @kcarruthers I wonder if those sodium ion batteries are worth their salt.
Show threadPaladin  1d ago
@kcarruthers Burn it down with coal! Batteries are against god! - Maga