First sodium-ion battery storage systems deployed on U.S. grid
Iain Hoey
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Launch of sodium-ion battery storage systems in the United States
Peak Energy has reported the launch and shipment of its sodium-ion battery energy storage system to the U.S. electric grid.
This is the first grid-scale sodium-ion storage solution to be deployed in the United States, according to the developer.
The system features a patent-pending passive cooling design intended to reduce lifetime energy costs.
It also removes components identified by independent third-party reports as being involved in most battery storage system fires.
The launch forms part of a pilot programme with nine utility and independent power producer customers this summer.
Passive cooling and design features
Peak Energy stated that its sodium-ion phosphate pyrophosphate battery storage system eliminates all moving parts, including active cooling and ventilation components.
Removing these parts reduces the most common failure modes in battery storage systems.
The design is intended to increase reliability and reduce operating and maintenance costs.
Sodium-ion chemistry enables operation across a wide range of temperatures without auxiliary cooling systems.
This contrasts with lithium-ion technologies, which require active cooling and ventilation to preserve cell life and prevent fires.
Cost and performance claims
The grid storage system is cost-competitive with other industry products.
Its design provides lower operating and maintenance costs over its lifetime.
Passive cooling allows for reduced auxiliary power use and fewer components likely to fail.
Performance testing indicated operational cost savings of at least $1 million annually per gigawatt hour installed.
Testing also showed approximately 20% lifetime cost savings compared to lithium iron phosphate deployments and a 33% reduction in battery degradation over 20 years.
Policy and supply chain considerations
The launch comes as U.S. federal policies are increasing the focus on domestic energy supply chains.
Rising energy demand has made battery storage essential for grid resilience and cost reduction.
Sodium-ion technology offers supply chain advantages for the United States.
The country holds the largest reserves of soda ash, a mineral used to produce sodium-ion batteries.
The full raw material supply chain can be sourced domestically or from allied nations.
Statements from company leadership
Landon Mossburg, CEO and Co-Founder at Peak Energy, said: “We see energy storage not only as an economic imperative, but also as a national security priority.
“Time is of the essence if the U.S. wants to take ownership and maintain control of its energy future.”
“We are committed to onshoring the manufacturing of this critical industry, and this launch proves our ability to execute quickly on our vision to establish the U.S. as a global leader in battery manufacturing.”
Paul Durkee, VP of Engineering at Peak Energy, said: “This isn’t just another product launch – it’s a breakthrough in energy storage.
“We’ve taken a very stable chemistry and invested its benefits back into our passive cooling architecture.
“The system is dead-simple with no moving parts, no planned maintenance and negligible aux loads.
“It’s the lowest total-cost grid storage technology to be deployed anywhere in the world.
“I’m incredibly proud of the creativity and grit our team has shown in bringing our vision to life.”
Future deployment plans
The pilot project is an initial step in commercialising sodium-ion battery storage in the U.S.
Nearly 1GWh of future commercial contracts are under negotiation.
Over the next two years, several hundred megawatt hours of commercial-scale storage will be deployed to multiple independent power producer and hyperscaler partners.
Development is also underway for the first U.S. cell factory, scheduled to begin production in 2026.
This follows $55 million in Series A funding in 2024 and the company’s launch from stealth in 2023.
Relevance for fire and safety professionals
The removal of active cooling and ventilation systems in this design addresses components linked to many battery storage system fires, according to independent third-party reports.
For fire and safety professionals, this may change risk assessment protocols for grid-scale storage installations.
The adoption of sodium-ion chemistry in grid applications could influence emergency response planning, particularly in temperature extremes where lithium-ion systems require auxiliary systems.
Understanding the operational characteristics of passive-cooled systems will be important for developing training, maintenance, and inspection standards.
First sodium-ion battery storage systems deployed on U.S. grid: Summary
Peak Energy has launched its sodium-ion battery energy storage system in the United States.
This is the first grid-scale sodium-ion storage system to be deployed on the U.S. electric grid.
The design uses passive cooling and removes components linked to battery storage system fires.
The system can operate without active cooling or ventilation across a range of temperatures.
Testing indicated operational cost savings of at least $1 million annually per gigawatt hour installed.
Results also showed 20% lifetime cost savings versus lithium iron phosphate and reduced battery degradation.
Sodium-ion offers domestic supply chain advantages due to U.S. soda ash reserves.
The pilot project involves nine utilities and independent power producers.
Commercial contracts under negotiation total nearly 1GWh.
Production at the first U.S. cell factory is planned for 2026.
