Altech Batteries one step closer to commercial viability after successful testing of ABS60 prototype
Altech Batteries (ASX: ATC) has confirmed that its Cerenergy 60 kilowatt-hour ABS60 battery prototype is online and operating successfully, having passed all physical tests and reported to have outperformed the company’s early expectations across all key metrics.
Notably, the battery maintained superior thermal stability within safe temperature limits with no signs of overheating, highlighting the effectiveness of the technology’s thermal management system.
The early findings confirm the prototype’s design integrity and have bolstered Altech’s confidence in its commercial viability.
Real-world simulation
The ABS60 prototype has since been delivered to the laboratory of Altech’s German joint venture partner Fraunhofer IKTS for integration into a specially-designed battery test station.
The station setup will enable continuous daily charging and discharging cycles to assess the battery’s efficiency, stability and overall performance under real-world conditions.
Further testing and refinement will generate critical data for potential offtake parties.
Advanced technology
Altech chief executive officer Iggy Tan said the Cerenergy prototype positions the company at the forefront of advanced battery technology.
“We are extremely pleased the battery is up and running and operating better than expected, reconfirming our confidence in the sodium-chloride solid-state battery technology developed with the world-leading Fraunhofer Institute,” he said.
“Testing under real-world conditions will be invaluable as we push forward with sales and finance to construct Train 1 of our 120-Megawatt-hour battery production facility in Saxony.”
Extensive testing
A total of 497 individual battery cells were produced and subjected to extensive testing at an operational temperature of 300°C.
Key results from over 500 cycles demonstrated stable performance, including a consistent discharge capacity of 80 ampere-hours and efficiency of up to 91%.
The discharge energy and capacity remained stable without any indication of degradation across all cycles and the average discharge voltage held steady throughout the tests.
Discharge and overcharge stress and abuse tests were conducted without any cell failures, confirming the cells’ durability.
The findings are believed to demonstrate the cells’ potential for long-term stability, high energy capacity and reliability in high-temperature applications.
Sale agreement
Altech signed a letter of intent earlier this month with German organisation Zweckverband Zweckverband Industriepark Schwarze Pumpe (ZISP) for the sale of battery pack units from the completed production facility.
Under the agreement, ZISP will purchase 30MWh of energy storage capacity annually, consisting of 1MWh GridPacks, for the first five years of production from 2027.
It represents the first offtake agreement for the production facility and is believed to indicate growing demand for innovative storage solutions as industries make the shift towards a green energy future.