Na+tteries - Negative Electrode-Electrolyte Solution Development for Sustainable, Scalable Full-Cell Sodium-Batteries

The Na+tteries project will develop new battery designs that are safe, long-lasting, and reliant on sustainably abundant natural resources -- in particular sodium (where the elemental symbol for sodium is "Na"). Whereas lithium-batteries are a mature technology, they rely on elements (esp. lithium and cobalt) that are scarce, have negative environmental impact, and are often located in geopolitically unstable regions outside of Europe. In contrast, sodium-batteries can be built using resources that are abundant in Europe, although they are less mature and require design and manufacturing improvements. Whereas most sodium-battery research has looked at individual components, this project will look at the compatibility of these components and, ultimately, develop new battery chemistries that can be manufactured for grid-scale energy storage in Norway and across Europe. The project combines experimental work with computational calculations to efficiently look at new materials and new battery chemistries. The project begins with individual components and will ultimately apply the research to build and test prototype sodium-batteries. Finally, this project aims to develop the longstanding expertise of the energy industry in Stavanger and across Rogaland whilst providing educational opportunities to renew and repurpose existing infrastructure for new energy storage technologies.

The Na+tteries project will develop Na-battery chemistries that are safe, long-lasting, and reliant on sustainably abundant natural resources. Whereas Li-batteries are a mature technology, they rely on elements (esp. Li, Co) that are scarce, have negative environmental impact, and are located in geopolitically unstable regions (Africa, South America, Asia). In contrast, Na-batteries can be built using resources that are abundant in Europe, although they are less mature and require design and manufacturing improvements. Whereas most Na-battery research has looked at individual components, this project seeks to identify compatible electrode-electrolyte pairings and, ultimately, develop new full-cell chemistries. The project will adopt an interdisciplinary approach, building on the established expertise of the PIs with physicochemical studies of battery materials (Hall) and with electronic structure modelling, molecular dynamics (MD), and machine learning (ML; Riccardi). The experimental component begins with physicochemical characterisation of negative electrode materials (e.g., black P, hard C) and electrolyte solutions (i.e., salts, solvents, and additives) of interest. Building databases and simple models of electrolyte thermal stability, viscosity, and conductivity has been done extensively on Li-based solutions, but far less for Na-batteries. Density functional theory (DFT)-MD will predict electrolyte stability and transport behaviour, then ML will be trained from the DFT-MD to enable more accurate, faster MD calculations. Specific electrode-electrolyte pairings will be studied in terms of the formation and evolution of protective surface layers during prolonged use and under aggressive conditions (e.g., high-temp). Finally, full-cell prototypes will be constructed to evaluate and optimise lifetime and safety. It is hoped the results will inform industry on practical energy storage systems suitable for production in Norway and Europe.