Sakuu and Eleqtrion to advance aluminium ion battery technology
Within the framework of the now-announced development agreement, Sakuu and Eleqtrion will use the former’s ‘Kavian’ platform to advance the development of aluminium-ion batteries for use in small- and large-scale energy storage systems and as e-mobility. According to the partners, aluminium-ion is gaining traction as a good raw material for the production of batteries. The companies plan to leverage Eleqtrion’s unique battery electrode to investigate the efficiency and sustainability of aluminium-ion batteries.
William Reynold, CEO at Eleqtrion, says: “By harnessing the power of aluminium-ion batteries, we’re taking a significant step toward creating energy systems that are more sustainable, safer, and more adaptable to the future’s growing demands.”
The Kavian platform has been previously employed to produce electrodes in a dry process. It is a 3D-printing process for solid-state batteries. The manufacturing process should also be suitable for other industries, but the company sees the greatest application in battery production. The collaboration with Eleqtrion will pave the way for Sakuu to deploy its technology in more advanced projects.
“Our Kavian platform is designed to enable manufacturing innovation for high-volume manufacturers and the most disruptive companies using cutting-edge technology,” explains Robert Bagheri, founder and CEO at Sakuu. “Our partnership with Eleqtrion is a testament to the platform’s versatility. Together, we will explore how Kavian can be used to produce aluminium-ion batteries at scale, offering a cleaner and more efficient solution for energy storage needs worldwide.”
In May 2023, Sakuu presented a market-ready lithium metal cell chemistry for the first time, which battery manufacturers have been able to license since then. According to earlier statements, the company, which was founded in 2016, is planning annual production capacities of 200 GWh for lithium metal and solid-state batteries by 2030 – and has commissioned Porsche’s consulting subsidiary Porsche Consulting to plan its planned gigafactories. Porsche Consulting is to plan a reference large-scale factory for the US company with a sustainable setup and maximum production efficiency that “can be efficiently replicated at various locations around the globe”, as Sakuu put it at the beginning of 2023.
While the first plant will support the production of lithium metal batteries, Sakuu plans to use its Kavian platform solution to manufacture 3D-printed solid-state batteries in subsequent production facilities. Sakuu currently operates two facilities in Silicon Valley: a pilot line for solid-state batteries and an engineering centre. The latter centre will enable Sakuu to scale up its 3D printing battery platform. According to the company, it has been “successfully and continuously 3D printing fully functional and high-performance batteries in customised shapes and sizes” on the pilot line since December 2022.
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