Altech Batteries’ advanced ABS60 prototype surpasses energy expectations in testing

Altech Batteries (ASX: ATC) has confirmed that 240 CERENERGY cells for the first ABS60 battery prototype have been fabricated, assembled and initialised at the Fraunhofer IKTS pilot plant in Germany.

Testing has reportedly delivered “better than expected” energy capacity, enabled by several improvements to the cell’s positive electrode.

The new “V2” design allows for slightly faster charging and discharging while reducing the unit costs of the battery and decreasing the nickel content.

Extensive testing

The 60-kilowatt-hour (kWh) cells have been cycled through several testing stations at Hermsdorf and Arnstadt to validate homogeneous cathode material distribution.

At Hermsdorf, the cells were scanned using an X-ray microtomography device that allows viewing the inside of the cells after they have been hermetically sealed.

This process is crucial to ensure the most homogeneous material distribution inside the cells as well as optimal alignment of cell components.

Cell welding

Cell contacting systems (CCS) for the ABS60 have undergone stringent testing and have been delivered by key supplier Hofer AG to a Fraunhofer facility in Dresden.

Each battery module contains 48 cells that will be welded to each CCS using a purpose-built tool.

Upon completion of the welding, packs will be prepared for testing and demonstration to potential end users to prove individual use cases for each customer.

Further testing will also assist Altech in securing offtake agreements and financing for a 120-megawatt-hour CERENERGY battery plant to be constructed on company land in Germany.

Battery composition

Altech’s ABS60 battery pack consists of five 12kWh modules, with the 48 cells in each mounted vertically and sealed in a thermally-isolated stainless steel hood housing with a battery management system at the base.

The insulation hood is designed to maintain the required heat inside the battery pack as long as possible while the outer surface retains an ambient temperature.

The base of each module is equipped for forklift transport for easy mounting into the ABS60 GridPack.