AMTE Power is first European company with sodium battery certification
AMTE Power has become the first European business to receive UN38.3 transportation testing certification for a sodium-ion cell with its first deployment, and signed a deal to explore using recycled copper in its cells.
The accreditation for its Ultra Safe sodium-ion product marks another important step forward in AMTE Power’s commercialisation plans, allowing it to access global markets.
UN38.3 certification has been adopted by regulators and competent authorities around the world as an essential standard for the safe transportation of cells. The protocol includes identifying/classifying cells; testing/qualification requirements; design guidance/conditions and packaging/shipping obligations.
“Battery energy storage for homes and industry will play a fundamental role in helping the UK to deliver its decarbonisation goals and maximise the potential of renewables. Sodium-ion batteries are fast becoming an alternative to lithium counterparts, particularly for energy storage applications,” said Alan Hollis, CEO at AMTE Power.
“Our sodium-ion cell has been specifically developed with these applications in mind, providing a safe, stable solution that doesn’t add to pressure on lithium stocks. We are seeing growing demand for our market leading technology used in the Ultra Safe product, and achieving UN38.3 certification marks a major milestone in our plans to scale up production to meet our customers’ needs.”
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“Our Ultra Safe cells have now been incorporated into 12 and 43-volt battery packs developed by AceOn for mobile energy storage. These are believed to be the first UK-developed battery packs based on sodium-ion and their performance will be demonstrated powering an inverter system at the Renewable Energy Workshop and Mobile Solar Power Energy Storage System Demonstration (REWED) today.”
“Sodium-ion batteries are the next big development in battery technology. As far as I am aware we are the first company to have UK-developed sodium-ion battery packs in our hands,” said Mark Thompson, managing director at AceOn.
“The fact that we are collaborating with a UK manufacturer in AMTE Power, and developing and building the packs in the UK ourselves, is vitally important for the country. It represents a real step-change in battery chemistry and offers huge opportunities across a range of industries and applications.”
AMTE Power has also signed a deal with CalPac Resources, which is developing novel technology derived from green hydrogen manufacturing to refine copper from industry scrap.
The memorandum of understanding will see AMTE Power explore the use of the CalPac recycled copper technology to produce the anode material in its Ultra High Power, Ultra Safe and Ultra Prime products.
The supply of copper is expected to come under increasing pressure as decarbonisation efforts ramp up, with a projected global deficit of up to 9.9m tonnes by 2035. The UK is the world’s fourth largest copper waste exporter and with no copper refineries in the country, millions of tonnes currently have to be imported for manufacturing each year.
Both AMTE Power and CalPac Resources are planning to build facilities at the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc (MSIP) in Dundee.
Tom Anderson, Managing Director at CalPac Resources, said: “This move represents a solid shift towards a truly circular industrial economy. AMTE Power will be the first battery manufacturer to use 100% local and zero-process-emission copper in its batteries, a ground-breaking development in UK battery manufacturing.”
John Valentine, Supply Chain Director at AMTE Power, said: “We are making strong progress in securing the critical materials needed for our cells as we scale up production ahead of delivering our first Gigafactory. Working with UK-based, sustainable producers is absolutely a priority for us reflecting our wider ESG strategy, and that is why CalPac Resources is the ideal fit. Our partnership demonstrates the potential to create an end-to-end battery industry here in the UK, powering the net zero economy of the future and unlocking green collar jobs.”
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