Consultation over 5 GWh French sodium-ion battery factory

Public opinion has been sought about plans for a sodium-ion battery production site at Boves, in the Jules-Verne industrial zone near Amiens, in France’s Hauts-de-France region.

French battery maker Tiamat and national electricity transmission system operator RTE have opened a public consultation exercise in Amiens to gauge opinion about a factory which would produce its first batteries next year, initially for data centers and small appliances and ultimately for electric mobility.

Startup Tiamat was spun out of France’s National Center for Scientific Research and is based at the Energy Hub in Amiens, at the scientific center of the University of Picardy Jules Verne. The sodium-ion-cell battery company raised €30 million ($34 million) in early 2024 in a third round of funding for a factory that would reach 5 GWh of annual production capacity in 2029.

The startup has been producing sodium-ion batteries in China, in partnership with Zenergy, since 2023, for use in stationary storage, integration with fuel cells, and handheld tools, as well as in rail, aeronautical, and emergency electric vehicle (EV) applications. The French company said it is in the final stages of preparing two new sodium-ion solutions: one optimized for power and the other dedicated to energy applications.

Taimat has attracted investment from Netherlands-headquartered carmaker Stellantis, which contributed €15 million as a future battery customer; French chemical group Arkema; and compatriot arms manufacturer MBDA; as well as state-owned lender Bpifrance.

The preliminary public consultation for the planned battery fab, which will feature several public meetings, will take place from April 28 to June 22. Neighboring municipalities will hold meetings to discuss issues including the environmental impact of the site, socio-economic matters, and the sharing of developer contributions. The consultation exercise is not binding but Tiamat will have to take into account the results of the debates.

A 700 MWh-per-year first phase of the plant is still set to be commissioned this year but that date is expected to be pushed back to 2026. Full production capacity, of up to 500,000 batteries per day, would be reached in 2029, under Tiamat’s plan.

The manufacturer signed a contract to develop the fab – supported by the region, Somme prefecture, the city of Amiens, and the local chamber of commerce and industry – in May 2024 but has yet to finalize a €150 million funding round announced in 2024, towards an estimated final cost of more than €500 million.

From lab to fab

Sodium-ion batteries offer a compelling potential alternative to lithium-ion devices thanks to improved safety, cheaper raw materials, and rapid charging times. They also do not require the lithium, cobalt, and nickel which are subject to concentrated global supply chains.

While sodium-ion battery energy density is only as good as that of the earliest generations of lithium-ion devices, it is hoped a competitive environment between established and new-entrant manufacturers could ramp up performance.

Natron Energy has been producing sodium-ion cells at its factory in Michigan, in the United States, since last year and compatriot Acculon Energy has been manufacturing modules, at a rate of 2 GWh per year, since mid-2024.

Chinese battery giant CATL has unveiled its Naxtra sodium-ion brand and plans a commercial line this year, and state-owned carmaker JAC Motors launched an EV with sodium-ion batteries in January 2024.

From pv magazine France.