Altech Batteries Validates CERENERGY Prototypes with Breakthrough Test Results

Altech Batteries (ASX: ATC) has announced major validation milestones for its CERENERGY cell and ABS60 battery pack prototypes.

The company reported long cycle life, strong efficiency and intrinsic safety across both designs.

Management said the results provide a decisive step toward commercialisation in the European grid storage market.

Cells Deliver Consistent Performance

The CERENERGY prototype cells completed more than 650 charge–discharge cycles without showing capacity loss, results that point to a markedly longer service life than conventional batteries, which typically degrade with every cycle.

For operators, that translates into fewer replacements, lower operating costs and higher system reliability over time.

Alongside durability, the cells achieved up to 92% energy efficiency and Coulombic efficiency near 100%, indicating minimal parasitic losses and confirming that the chemistry uses input energy effectively.

In comparison, rival high-temperature and flow batteries often operate at 70–80% efficiency, leaving operators with lower economic returns.

Altech also noted that the chemistry’s performance held steady under rigorous operating conditions, providing the flexibility required for renewable integration, peak demand support and backup power applications.

Safety Performance Strengthens Commercial Case

Altech also subjected the prototypes to abuse testing that included overcharge to 4 volts, deep discharge to 0.2V and repeated exposure to 300°C temperatures.

The cells remained intact throughout, with no leakage, gas release or rupture, emphasising the stability of sodium nickel chloride chemistry, which avoids the flammable electrolytes that make lithium-ion prone to thermal runaway.

By removing that fire risk, CERENERGY offers utilities and industrial users a lower-risk storage option—especially important for large-scale installations where safety incidents could have significant consequences.

The ability to withstand extreme electrical and thermal stress also points to reliability in diverse climates.

All of which, Altech believes, positions CERENERGY as a more resilient alternative to current technologies.

ABS60 Pack Validated under Real-World Conditions

The company tested the first ABS60 pack – rated at 60 kilowatt-hours – under conditions designed to mimic utility applications, including continuous discharges at 25 amperes, short pulses at 50A, and controlled thermal variations.

The pack sustained about 88% round-trip efficiency over more than 110 cycles, maintaining stable output across all scenarios, with no observable capacity fading and only a slight rise in internal resistance.

For end users, this means predictable long-term performance and lower maintenance requirements.

In a market where downtime and replacements can quickly erode project economics, those results support the ABS60’s viability for commercial deployment.

The prototype’s ability to operate reliably across demanding duty cycles shows that CERENERGY is not only robust in the laboratory but also effective under real-world conditions, marking a key threshold in demonstrating that the technology can scale beyond small tests to practical, revenue-generating projects.

Management Targets Industrial Rollout

Group managing director Iggy Tan said the results demonstrate the technology’s readiness for adoption at scale.

“Demonstrating long cycle life, high efficiency, and unmatched safety, we are now strongly positioned to deliver a competitive and sustainable alternative for grid and industrial energy storage,” Mr Tan said.

The company is working with Fraunhofer IKTS to commercialise the technology in Saxony, Germany, where it plans to construct a 120 megawatt-hour facility that would produce CERENERGY modules specifically for grid storage, supplying utilities, and industrial operators seeking secure and sustainable systems.

The strategy also leverages Europe’s push to reduce reliance on critical raw materials, since the sodium nickel chloride chemistry eliminates lithium, cobalt, graphite, and copper.