The idea behind sodium-ion batteries is to reduce Europe's reliance on the lithium-ion ones that power everything from toothbrushes and mobile phones to mopeds and cars. Today's batteries include materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt that are both scarce and toxic, whereas sodium is one of the most plentiful elements on Earth. "Sodium-ion batteries are based on more abundant and safer materials than lithium-ion batteries," said Abou-Rjeily. "There's not enough lithium ions and cobalt and nickel to meet everyone's needs." He is a research and development engineer at Tiamat, which designs and manufactures sodium-ion batteries. Abou-Rjeily led a research project to develop sodium-ion batteries that have commercial appeal and can serve as a new foundation for European manufacturing. Called NAIMA, the project ran from December 2019 through May 2023. It featured companies, research institutions and universities in Bulgaria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Batteries are central to Europe's drive to replace fossil fuels with renewable-energy sources such as wind and solar power. More clean energy in Europe requires new storage capacity that batteries can provide. The European battery market could be worth as much as €250 billion a year as of 2025. Europe aims to increase its share of global battery-cell production to as high as 25% this decade from 3% in 2018, chipping away at Asia's 85% dominance. Lithium-ion batteries can store lots of energy in a small space, making them winners for smart phones and electric cars. Sodium-ion batteries are slightly bigger and potentially cheaper, making them candidates for storing energy in places such as homes, power tools and small vehicles. Abou-Rjeily, a trained chemist from Lebanon, moved to France in 2016 to pursue an interest in environmental sustainability. He is at home with Tiamat, whose sodium-ion batteries... |