SOLSTICE project, Sodium-Zinc molten salt batteries for low-cost stationary storage

SOLSTICE project, “Sodium-Zinc molten salt batteries for low-cost stationary storage”

The SOLSTICE project strives to develop energy storage systems based on liquid sodium and zinc from January 2021 onwards. The European Union is funding the project with eight million Euros through the Horizon 2020 program.

SOLSTICE answers the quest for stationary energy storage with two Na-Zn molten salt batteries, which operate at elevated temperature. The first concept benefits from the existing and successful ZEBRA® technology. Replacing their Ni-electrode by cheap and abundant Zn will only minimally affect other system parts thereby ensuring fast commercialization. The second approach, an all-liquid cell, will apply the same chemistry, but does not require a ceramic electrolyte thus reducing cost further.

Scientists from nine research institutes and three companies have now joined forces to make the required technology ready for use. Among the partner organizations are: Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (Germany), Stiftelsen for industriell og teknisk forskning (Norway), EidgenÖssische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt (Switzerland), Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnològicas (Spain), German Aerospace Center (Germany), Politecnico di Torino (Italy), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway), Instituto de Desenvolvimento de Novas Tecnologias (Portugal), Quantis (Switzerland), Sensichips (Italy), FZSoNick (Switzerland), Imperial College London (United Kingdom).

Design Liquid Metal Battery- Project Solstice

Copyright: HZDR / Blaurock

POLITO’s role.

Glance group at POLITO will lead work package 7 about the manufacturing and design. It will develop and assess sealing and joining processes for the battery systems.

3D printing facility to deposit glass-based pastes

Contact(s): Prof. F. Smeacetto, Prof. M. Salvo, F. D’Isanto

Coordinator: Dr. N. Weber, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR)

Funding: Project Solstice - H2020 - GA no. 963599