Non-lithium energy storage advances are gaining momentum in the US, Spain, and Scotland. In this roundup, Unigrid, Inlyte Energy, CIUDEN, and Sunamp highlight how sodium-ion, iron-sodium, vanadium redox flow, and thermal storage systems are moving closer to wider commercial use. Moreover, these projects show how developers are targeting longer lifetimes, domestic supply chains, and better use of industrial heat.
Non-lithium energy storage advances at Unigrid
US-based Unigrid reported a major performance milestone for its proprietary sodium chromium oxide chemistry. The company said its commercial-grade sodium-ion cells achieved 5,000 full-depth cycles at 100% depth of discharge while retaining more than 95% of capacity. As a result, Unigrid expects the chemistry could deliver a cycle life of 20,000 cycles and an operational life of up to 25 years.
That projected lifespan closely matches the typical life of solar PV panels. Therefore, project owners could align battery assets with the life of a solar installation and reduce the need for mid-project replacement planning. Unigrid CEO Darren H. S. Tan said this alignment can support more predictable financing models, including Battery-as-a-Service and long-term energy leasing.
Earlier this year, Unigrid began international shipments of its NCO cathode cells at commercial volume. The company said it became the first battery company outside China to export sodium-ion cells at scale. In addition, it plans to fulfill off-take agreements later this year. Unigrid uses a fab-less, foundry-subscription model. In other words, it works with manufacturing partners instead of building gigafactories, which helps it scale more quickly across global markets.
Non-lithium energy storage advances at Inlyte Energy
Inlyte Energy also expanded its position in the US market. The iron-sodium battery company signed an agreement with Ervin Industries to engineer iron powder formulas for better battery performance. At the same time, the partnership strengthens Inlyte’s domestic supplier base.
Inlyte uses sodium metal chloride battery technology, often called ZEBRA batteries. This chemistry has operated for more than 40 years. The company says its system uses iron and sodium chloride conversion chemistry, solid beta-alumina as the electrolyte, and molten NaAlCl4 as the catholyte. Because the system relies on domestically available materials such as iron, Inlyte believes it can support energy storage growth through existing US industrial infrastructure.
Ervin Industries supplies engineered iron materials to sectors including metalworking, surface preparation, and advanced manufacturing. It also uses recycled metals in production. Consequently, the partnership can support a more sustainable and affordable materials base for battery manufacturing. Looking ahead, Inlyte plans to select a site for its first US production facility in 2026. It is also working with HORIEN Salt Battery Solutions to introduce sodium battery systems made in the US, with commercial deliveries targeted for 2027. In February, the company also announced a deal with NTS Colocation AG to deploy 2MW of iron-sodium battery capacity by 2028.
Non-lithium energy storage advances at CIUDEN in Spain
In Spain, La Fundación Ciudad de la Energía, or CIUDEN, completed operational testing of an energy storage facility that uses vanadium redox flow battery technology. The 1MW/8MWh system includes a 100kW/800kWh experimental module for research and development work. The project contract totaled €6.4 million, or about US$7.3 million, and Spanish company CYMI delivered it with technology from South Korea’s H2 Inc.
The VRFB system uses the vanadium redox reaction across four oxidation states stored in electrolyte tanks. This design supports a lifespan of more than 20 years. It also allows power and energy to scale independently. CIUDEN developed the facility as part of a wider programme focused on green hydrogen, sustainable synthetic fuels, and energy storage. In addition, the project receives support from the European Union’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and Next Generation EU.
CIUDEN’s site also includes other storage technologies. These include sodium-sulfur batteries with 1MW/5.8MWh of capacity and Lithium-ion systems with 600kW/1.3MWh. Together, the Cubillos del Sil Technology Development Centre will reach around 15MWh of total storage capacity. Previously, in 2024, H2 Inc deployed a 1.1MW/8.8MWh VRFB for a CIUDEN project under a programme funded by Spain’s ecological transition ministry.
Non-lithium energy storage advances at Sunamp in Scotland
Sunamp added another angle to non-lithium energy storage advances with a new thermal storage system for commercial and industrial users. The Scotland-based company launched Central Bank Mini, its first dedicated product for the commercial, industrial, and manufacturing sectors.
Sunamp says the system captures waste heat and low-carbon energy sources, then stores and releases heat across a broad range of industrial temperatures. It uses the company’s Plentigrade phase change material technology. During charging, the material absorbs heat. Later, it releases that heat when needed. As a result, businesses can recover waste heat, stabilize energy loads, reduce fuel use, and lower carbon emissions.
Sunamp developed Plentigrade with the University of Edinburgh. The company says the non-toxic material stores heat much more effectively than water. It can also replace or support conventional heating systems in homes and businesses. The Central Bank Mini works with heat sources such as chiller heat rejection, process cooling, heat exchange, flue gas recovery, and air compressor cooling. It covers charge temperatures from 50°C to 120°C and discharge temperatures from 33°C to 85°C.
According to Sunamp, companies can redeploy this recovered energy into process heating, space heating, HVAC, steam preheat, hot water generation, and cooling through absorption chillers. The company also highlighted a project in Kitakyushu City, Japan, where IHI Corporation used a Central Bank Mini P58 unit to capture surplus boiler heat from a soap plant and deliver it to a nearby factory. Sunamp said the system stored up to 80kWh of heat with minimal losses, cut system costs by 30%, and achieved CO₂ payback in under one year.
What these non-lithium energy storage advances mean
Overall, non-lithium energy storage advances now span batteries and thermal systems. Unigrid is pushing long-life sodium-ion cells for solar projects. Meanwhile, Inlyte is building a stronger domestic supply chain for iron-sodium batteries in the US. At the same time, CIUDEN is testing long-duration flow battery technology in Spain, and Sunamp is helping industrial users recover and reuse heat more efficiently. Together, these developments show that non-lithium technologies are expanding their role in grid, industrial, and commercial energy storage markets.
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