UNIGRID Secures Grant for Advanced Sodium-Ion Battery Production in California

UNIGRID Battery Production Grant

UNIGRID, Inc., a prominent player in battery technology, has announced a major advancement in the energy sector by securing a competitive grant under the California Energy Commission's (CEC) Realizing Accelerated Manufacturing and Production for Clean Energy Technologies (RAMP) program. This initiative, titled "Advanced Sodium-Ion Battery Production in California," aims to establish a state-of-the-art battery production facility in San Diego, specifically designed for the mass production of sodium-ion battery cells.

With a grant totaling $2.9 million, UNIGRID will develop a Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) line, allowing the company to produce megawatt-hour-scale quantities of sodium-ion batteries annually. The new facility, encompassing 12,000 square feet in Sorrento Valley, San Diego, is set to revolutionize the energy storage landscape by introducing a safer, more sustainable alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries.

Features of UNIGRID's Sodium-Ion Battery Technology

UNIGRID's cutting-edge sodium-ion batteries boast several compelling features that highlight their innovative chemistry and practical applications:

1. Ultra-Safe Chemistry: The batteries have successfully passed critical safety standards, including UN 38.3 and UL 9540A at the cell level, marking a significant achievement for energy storage solutions.
2. Wide Operating Temperature Range: These batteries can function effectively in a diverse range of environments, operating continuously between -40°C and 60°C.
3. Long Cycle Life: Engineered for durability, the sodium-ion batteries can endure up to 10,000 cycles at 100% depth of discharge (DoD).
4. Critical Material Exemption: UNIGRID's batteries do not use any lithium, nickel, cobalt, or copper, thereby alleviating the environmental concerns associated with these materials.
5. High Power Capabilities: Designed for efficiency, these batteries can charge in just 15 minutes and discharge in a rapid five minutes, making them ideal for grid resilience and energy storage applications.

Erik A. Wu, the Chief Technology Officer at UNIGRID and the Principal Investigator of the award, expressed optimism about the project: "This RAMP award is a major step forward—not just for UNIGRID, but for the future of safe, sustainable, and affordable energy storage in California. We are grateful to the CEC for recognizing the value of our technology and supporting our mission to bring next-generation sodium-ion batteries to market."

The Future of Energy Storage

As energy demands continue to climb, the need for efficient and safe energy storage solutions becomes increasingly critical. UNIGRID's sodium-ion batteries provide a compelling alternative to conventional lithium-ion battery technology, offering enhanced safety and reduced supply chain risks. With their innovative features, these batteries are poised to play a pivotal role in advancing grid resilience and distributed energy storage solutions.

UNIGRID, Inc. was founded in 2021 as a spin-off from the University of California, San Diego, emerging from groundbreaking research by Dr. Darren H. S. Tan and Dr. Erik A. Wu. The company is dedicated to developing advanced sodium-ion batteries that power numerous applications in energy storage and electric mobility.

For further information about UNIGRID, Inc. and its groundbreaking battery technology, visit UnigridBattery.com.