California-based startup Inlyte Energy has announced that its iron-sodium chemistry has demonstrated stable cycling in commercial-size cells, proving its readiness for scale-up.
The technology leverages the design of the sodium metal chloride battery and relies on abundantly available iron and sodium (table salt). Inlyte prides on the technology’s dual utilization, citing high efficiency for both daily cycling (4–10 hours) and affordability for long-duration storage (24+ hours).
Sodium metal chloride batteries were originally developed for electric vehicles in the 1980s and 1990s, but cost reductions and scale have been held back by their cost structure. Inlyte’s team is now optimizing this technology platform for long-duration energy storage, replacing nickel with iron in a bid to achieve cost reductions while maintaining high performance.
