Chinese battery manufacturers continue to develop sodium-ion battery technologies while restructuring raw material supply chains. One of the key directions has been the replacement of imported materials with domestic anthracite, which should reduce the industry's dependence on foreign suppliers and lower the cost of battery production.
The main feature of sodium-ion batteries is that ordinary graphite, widely used in lithium-ion cells, is not suitable for their anode. Larger sodium ions are less effectively incorporated into the graphite structure, so manufacturers have to use so-called hard carbon, which ensures stable battery operation and preserves its lifespan during charging and discharging.
Initially, hard carbon was produced from coconut shells, supplied mainly from Southeast Asian countries. However, this approach proved difficult to scale. According to industry estimates, China's domestic resources allow for the production of materials for batteries with a total capacity of only about 6.3 GWh per year, while the demand for sodium-ion batteries could exceed 100 GWh by 2027.
The solution was to use anthracite. Chinese chemical companies have already established the production of hard carbon from high-quality coal. This approach proved to be significantly more efficient: while the yield of finished material from coconut shell processing is about 2.5%, when using anthracite, this figure reaches 45%.
The economic effect is already noticeable. The cost of hard carbon has fallen below 30,000 yuan per ton (about 350,000 rubles), and in the future, manufacturers expect to lower it to less than 20,000 yuan. This should make sodium-ion batteries more attractive for mass-market vehicles and energy storage systems.
According to industry statistics, last year 77% of sodium-ion battery shipments were for cells with polyanionic cathodes, which are characterized by high durability and stable operation.
Although sodium-ion batteries are currently inferior to lithium-ion batteries in terms of specific energy density, they are considered a promising solution for inexpensive cars and stationary energy storage devices due to their lower cost, high safety, and independence from scarce lithium.