- The energy storage station uses the latest high-capacity sodium-ion batteries with a top response speed six times faster than other existing sodium-ion batteries.
- It can store 800,000 kWh of electricity per day, which can be used by 270,000 households.
China's first large-scale lithium-sodium hybrid energy storage station has been put into operation, capable of powering hundreds of thousands of homes, as sodium-ion batteries are more widely adopted.
The Baochi energy storage station -- operated by China Southern Power Grid (Southern Grid) and located in Wenshan, Yunnan province in southwestern China -- can store up to 800,000 kWh of electricity per day, which can be used by 270,000 households, according to a Xinhua news agency report yesterday.
The energy storage station covers an area of about 50 mu (33,333 square meters) and has more than 150 battery compartments and boost-converter compartments with a maximum instantaneous output capacity of 200 MW.
The energy storage station uses the latest high-capacity sodium-ion batteries with the top response speed six times faster than other existing sodium-ion batteries, Xinhua quoted Wang Hui, the head of the station, as saying.
Utilizing better-performing sodium batteries, coupled with technologically mature lithium batteries and an output capacity of 200 MW, the storage station can serve more than 30 wind and photovoltaic plants and stations in Yunnan, Wang said.
This helps to better support the stable connection of a large number of new energy sources to the grid, allowing them to participate in power market transactions and promoting the efficient use of new energy sources, according to Wang.
The energy storage station integrates the advantages of lithium batteries and sodium batteries, further expanding the application scenarios of sodium-ion batteries in energy storage, according to Wan Minhui, a researcher at Southern Grid's energy storage unit.
It can flexibly adjust the charging and discharging modes according to the new energy access, thus balancing the volatility of new energy, according to Wan.
In areas where a lot of new energy is produced, such as Tibet, Xinjiang, Gansu and Ningxia, this helps to realize stable power delivery from new energy bases in desert and Gobi regions, Wan said.
The report did not mention more information about the sodium-ion batteries in the energy storage station.
Hina Battery, a Chinese power battery maker, said yesterday that the energy storage station uses the world's first high-capacity power sodium-ion batteries made by the company.
Hina was founded in 2017 and in December 2022 its GWh-class sodium-ion battery production line saw its first product roll off the line.
Sodium-ion batteries have begun to gain widespread attention over the past few years, largely due to the abundant reserves of the raw material, its ease of extraction and low cost.
The new batteries are currently being used primarily in energy storage, although some electric vehicles are also starting to use them.
In May 2024, Southern Grid commissioned a 10 MWh sodium-ion battery energy storage station in Nanning, Guangxi province, the first large-scale sodium-ion battery energy storage station in China.
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