Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) developed sodium-sulfur battery with high energy density together with Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company, reported Science Times on October 16, 2009.

The single battery has a capacity of 650Ah. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics and Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company own full independent IPR of the battery.

China therefore becomes the second country in the world (next to Japan) that has the technology of producing single sodium-sulfur battery with high energy density.

A sodium-sulfur battery is a type of battery constructed from sodium and sulfur. This type of battery has a high energy density, high efficiency of charge/discharge, small size and long cycle life, and is fabricated from inexpensive materials. “Sodium-sulfur battery is one of the most economic and the most efficient ways for energy storage,” noted LUO Hongjie, director of Shanghai Institute of Ceramics.

Energy storage is one of the key technologies in building smart grid. Such cells can moderate peak and off-peak power demanding of the grid, and provide safe storage of solar energy and wind power.