AUS
NZ
UK
CA
USA
IND
_10_04_2024_16_38_50_427275.jpg)
Highlights
- CERENERGY® battery shows no performance loss after 28 years in storage
- Technology offers a potential solution for long-term energy storage
- Plans underway for 120 MWh battery production facility in Germany
Altech Batteries Ltd (ASX:ATC) has showcased a major milestone in battery durability and resilience, confirming that its CERENERGY® sodium-nickel-chloride battery technology remains operational even after nearly three decades in storage. The breakthrough supports long-duration energy storage and underscores the company’s growing profile within the evolving landscape of advanced energy solutions — a trend of growing relevance among technology players in the ASX300 index.
The validation came through the successful activation of a Zebra battery, which had been idle for 28 years. Although originally manufactured by AEG ZEBRA in Berlin, the battery shares the same core chemistry as the CERENERGY® units now being developed by Altech. Once heated to its activation point of 270 °C, the battery performed reliably, indicating that the sodium-nickel-chloride chemistry used in CERENERGY® is impressively stable over time.
This solid-state battery approach, which employs sodium aluminium chloride and nickel powder in a sealed format, offers clear advantages over lithium-ion technologies that typically use liquid electrolytes. The inert nature of CERENERGY® cells at room temperature makes them well-suited for critical storage needs — especially in sectors like defence, emergency infrastructure, and grid backup — where long shelf-life and instant activation are vital.
The CERENERGY® technology takes inspiration from Zebra batteries but improves upon them significantly. Earlier Zebra models provided approximately 100 watt-hours (Wh), while current CERENERGY® cells deliver up to 250 Wh. This leap in energy density enhances the value proposition of the technology for commercial-scale deployment.
Ongoing testing by Altech’s research partner, the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS), is reinforcing performance claims. The 28-year-old battery is undergoing daily charge-discharge cycles at 300 °C, and initial findings point to consistent functionality.
Plans are progressing for a 120 megawatt-hour CERENERGY® manufacturing plant in Saxony, Germany, as part of the joint venture between Altech and Fraunhofer IKTS. This aligns with broader shifts in the energy sector and complements emerging opportunities in clean technology and infrastructure-focused sectors tracked by the ASX300 index.
Separately, Altech is developing its Silumina Anodes™ project — an initiative designed to boost lithium-ion battery performance for electric vehicles, a key growth area in Europe’s transition to sustainable mobility.
As investors increasingly seek innovation-backed stability in the energy space, companies like Altech Batteries Ltd continue to garner attention not just for technology advancement but also for their role in Australia’s broader industrial narrative, including among quality-focused ASX dividend stocks.
