California bets on sodium-ion batteries for extreme heat regions

California renewable energy developer Juniper Energy has partnered with Alsym Energy to deploy 500 MWh of sodium-ion battery storage projects across California.

The partnership will use Alsym’s sodium-ion battery technology in battery energy storage systems (BESS), including projects planned for the Mojave Desert and other high-temperature regions.

The companies say the goal is to build storage projects that can better handle extreme heat without the cooling systems typically needed for lithium-ion batteries.

Built for California heat

Alsym says its Na-Series batteries are designed to avoid thermal runaway – the chain reaction that can lead to battery fires – and can operate without active cooling. That could reduce both upfront project costs and long-term maintenance costs, since developers wouldn’t need as much cooling equipment or related infrastructure.