Altech Batteries (ASX: ATC) has completed the final engineering design for, and is now preparing for testing and real-world deployment of, its new-generation sodium-nickel-chloride (SNC) uninterruptible power supply (UPS) battery system.
The achievement represents a significant advancement in the company’s European commercialisation program, developed in partnership with sodium-nickel-chloride solid-state battery giant AMPower.
Altech is now planning for a factory acceptance testing program in the new year that will validate the system’s electrical performance, safety features, communication protocols, and mechanical integration.
First European Shipment
Successful testing will unlock preparations for shipment of the first units into Europe, followed by live-environment installation at five priority trial sites in the Netherlands.
Altech sees the Netherlands as a strategic entry point into broader adoption, with advanced infrastructure, strong regulatory oversight, and emphasis on operational reliability creating a suitable environment to validate its technology.
Each site will utilise the completed SNC UPS cabinet to replace ageing lead-acid or nickel-cadmium assets, providing a direct drop-in comparison of life-cycle performance, reliability, and operational simplicity.
Altech hopes to demonstrate reliability across a range of UPS environments including gas transmission facilities, industrial controls, and distributed safety-critical nodes, as well as generate operational data on real-world cycling, temperature-response, long-duration backup capability.
Safer Alternatives Sought
The company continues to receive strong interest from operators in Europe, Australia, and the US assessing SNC technology as a long-life, hazard-free alternative to lithium-ion systems, which remain unsuitable for explosive or ATEX-classified environments.
Europe’s infrastructure operators — particularly in gas transportation, water utilities, and industrial safety networks — continue to seek safer, maintenance-free alternatives to conventional battery systems as lead-acid installations are reaching end-of-life in large numbers, while nickel-cadmium units face increasing environmental and regulatory pressures.
Altech’s SNC solution addresses these needs, providing a fireproof, hydrogen-free and maintenance-free UPS battery capable of operating in harsh climates and ATEX-classified zones.
The system incorporates a full stainless-steel cabinet, integrated SNC modules, advanced passive-safety architecture, and seamless building management system integration using Modbus client/server data communications protocol, CAN, and RS485 interfaces.
Operators can install Altech’s SNC unit directly into existing UPS infrastructure without modifying inverters, rectifiers, or site wiring to significantly reduce project complexity and commissioning costs.
