On November 4, Sinopec formally signed an agreement with LG Chem to collaboratively develop key materials for sodium-ion batteries.
Both parties stated that they will jointly develop critical materials such as cathode and anode materials for sodium-ion batteries, targeting the energy storage systems and low-speed electric vehicle markets in China and globally, to accelerate the commercialization process.
Cross-Industry Collaboration Between Giants
As China’s largest petroleum and chemical enterprise, Sinopec oversees numerous petrochemical companies, such as Sinopec Tianjin, Sinopec Shanghai, and Sinopec Ningbo Zhenhai Refining & Chemical.
In recent years, these refining and chemical enterprises have been actively accelerating their transformation and upgrading, continuously increasing the proportion of chemical products, new energy, and new materials. Battery materials, as a critical component of the new energy sector, have naturally become a key focus area.
In terms of technical reserves, for instance, the Shanghai Research Institute of Sinopec has developed a wide-temperature-range sodium battery electrolyte that maintains over 95% capacity retention in low-temperature environments of -10℃. Research institutes like the Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry have already established a solid foundation of technical expertise in key areas such as sodium battery electrolytes and separator materials.
LG Chem, the partner in this agreement with Sinopec, is a giant in the new energy battery sector, possessing globally leading experience in the commercialization of cathode and anode materials.
The core of this collaboration between the two industry giants is to focus on key materials for sodium-ion batteries.
Sodium-ion batteries are similar to lithium-ion batteries in that both are secondary batteries using ions as charge carriers, but they exhibit significant differences in performance.
For example, in low-temperature environments, sodium-ion batteries experience less capacity degradation and perform even better than LFP batteries. Moreover, they offer cost advantages, being 30%-40% cheaper than lithium batteries.
More importantly, sodium-ion batteries carry no risk of over-discharge and exhibit excellent thermal stability, making them an ideal choice for large-scale energy storage due to their high safety.
Currently, lithium batteries account for up to 97% of China’s new energy storage capacity. However, sodium batteries are fully capable of achieving differentiated competition in the energy storage sector, particularly in markets like two-wheelers and electric vehicle models smaller than B-segment, where the economic advantages of sodium batteries are more prominent.
This collaborative development of sodium-ion battery materials will not only help both companies further enhance their technical capabilities and market competitiveness but also contribute to energy transition and sustainable development.
Source: WeChat Official Account——Sinopec
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