April 2024

VoltaViewAfrica relies on new sodium-ion battery technology (SIB), both for stationary PV battery storage and for mobile battery solutions, such as the electrical operation of boat engines and small vehicles (TukTuks or bajaji).

SIB technology is characterized by various properties compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries:

• Due to the cell chemistry, there is no risk of fire and/or explosion in the event of deep- or overcharging, thus ensuring safe operation and transport.
• High cycle stability (> 4,000 cycles without loss of capacity).
• Real sustainability, as no environmentally critical raw materials such as nickel, manganese, cobalt and lithium are used, so sodium-ion batteries are very easy to recycle and correspond to the concept of a circular economy.

The SIBs we use have an energy density of >120 Wh/kg and are tested, validated and manufactured in collaboration with our partners Fraunhofer HHI, Energy Storage Technologies Research Center at Clausthal University of Technology and VoltaMove GmbH.

A first SIB storage system with a capacity of 15 kWh will be installed and put into operation in our powerhouse in the newly built school in Kaolack/Senegal in May 2024.