Chinese utility announces opening of large-scale battery storage facility: 'The battery tech will continue to improve'

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By Jon Turi, TCD. 

Excerpt: Large-scale battery storage systems are a no-brainer to handle the ever-growing influx of renewable energy without letting it go to waste. Since China has taken a global lead in using greener energy sources, it's no surprise that one of its latest major storage systems to go online is using a less toxic approach. As Electrek reported, the Fulin Sodium-ion Battery Energy Storage Station began operating in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in southern China this May. The initial storage capacity is said to be around 10 megawatt-hours (MWh), but it expected to grow to 100 MWh at full capacity..."enough to power 35,000 households and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50,000 tonnes [about 55,000 tons] annually," according to Electrek. ..."The energy conversion efficiency of its sodium-ion battery energy storage system exceeds 92%. It's comparable to the efficiency of common lithium-ion battery storage systems, at 85% to 95%." Sodium-ion batteries are outside the norm in the storage industry, but they've gained attention due to lower costs and sustainability. The main ingredient is said to be 500 times more abundant than lithium and can easily be harvested from seawater. It's also environmentally friendly and safer to transport than lithium. ...Another interesting thing about sodium-ion batteries is that they can charge much faster than their lithium competitors. The utility shared with Electrek that the particular battery cells they use "charge to 90% in a mindblowing 12 minutes.".... 

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