Sodium-ion battery cell developer UNIGRID announced it would share its sodium chromium oxide (NCO) design with Syntropic Power to establish U.S. manufacturing.
The two companies plan to deploy 1 GWh of NCO-based energy storage in 2027, initially with Syntropic’s Tenet residential system and the GridSpan system for large-scale applications. Syntropic will design, manufacture and deploy battery energy storage systems based on UNIGRID’s independently validated cell chemistry.
Syntropic commissioned the Rochester Institute of Technology Battery Development Center, an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory, to independently characterize UNIGRID’s NCO prismatic cells.
Initial RIT testing of the 210-Ah cells measured 216-218 Ah of discharge capacity against a 210-Ah nameplate rating, greater than or equal to 97.9% cell-level round-trip energy efficiency, only 2.3% capacity loss between C/10 and 1C rates, and highly beneficial endothermic behavior during charging. Cycle life testing at full depth of discharge from UNIGRID has achieved more than 1,000 cycles with greater than 99% capacity retained. The RIT results ensure Syntropic’s products, including GridSpan, take full advantage of the chemistry’s measured strengths — informing the electrical architecture, operating controls and passive thermal-management design that allow the platform to be engineered for operation without mechanical cooling, even at grid-scale charge and discharge rates.
RIT abuse testing further demonstrated that UNIGRID’s NCO cells remained thermally stable under extreme test conditions. The cells have also passed UN 38.3 transport testing, completed cell-level UL 9540A testing and achieved IEC 62619 certification, supporting transportation qualification and downstream system-certification activities.
“The RIT program gives us independent data on the performance characteristics that matter for stationary energy storage,” said Matt Huber, CTO of Syntropic Power. “UNIGRID’s NCO chemistry combines high round trip efficiency, high power capability, strong cycle life performance and distinctive thermal safety behavior, providing the foundation for a GridSpan platform designed to operate without active cooling.”
The first shipment of UNIGRID NCO cells has been delivered to Syntropic for product development, testing and integration across its stationary energy storage portfolio.
Near-term commercialization will begin with Tenet, a wall-mounted system prioritizing safety in close-proximity environments and designed for residential, light-commercial and virtual power plant applications.
GridSpan, Syntropic’s flagship modular DC platform, extends the same NCO technology into large-scale stationary applications. Its purpose-built power and energy configurations support applications ranging from fast-response power and ride-through to energy storage durations of approximately 20 minutes to 20 hours.
“As surging power demand from AI and electrification collides with extreme weather and rising energy costs, the modern grid requires unmatched reliability and thermal resilience,” said Darren H. S. Tan, CEO of UNIGRID. “The inherent stability and high power capability of the NCO chemistry make it exceptionally well-suited for these demanding conditions. Partnering with Syntropic allows us to scale this robust technology to deliver the dependable power infrastructure North America urgently needs.”
Syntropic plans to manufacture NCO cells using UNIGRID’s technology in the United States by the end of 2027. No information on manufacturing locations has been released.
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