"Macsen Labs Makes Strides in Sodium-Based Battery Technology, Files Temporary Patent, and Leaps Closer to Large-Scale Production"
Macsen Labs, a manufacturer of APIs, dyes, and specialty chemicals founded in 1952, has made a significant breakthrough in sodium-ion battery technology. The British-based company has developed a high-performance Prussian White cathode material specifically tailored for sodium-ion batteries.
The new cathode innovation is central to Macsen Labs' advances in cycle life, charge rate, electrolyte performance, and overall energy efficiency for sodium-ion cells. This development marks a significant step forward in the commercialization of sodium-ion technology at scale.
Prussian White Cathode: The Key to Enhanced Performance
The Prussian White cathode material has undergone optimization for battery use and shown promising results. It offers excellent stability, fast sodium-ion mobility due to its open crystalline structure, and compatibility with existing lithium-ion cell manufacturing infrastructure.
Macsen Labs is now focusing on improving cycle life, energy density, charge-discharge rates, and optimizing electrolyte-additive systems, as well as reducing the cost contribution of other components of the battery cell. Through its proprietary process, Macsen has achieved an energy density exceeding 150 mAh/g with Prussian White, which is comparable to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP).
Macsen Energy: Dedicated to Energy Storage Innovation and Scale-Up
To bring this technology to market, Macsen Labs is forming a dedicated spin-off called Macsen Energy. This new entity will focus on pilot-scale manufacturing, field deployments, and customer engagement. The goal is to validate and scale the technology for various grid and mobility applications.
Macsen Energy's focus will be exclusively on energy storage systems, particularly stationary energy storage systems for renewable energy management. The plan includes progressing towards large-scale gigafactory-grade production in the coming years.
Cost Advantages and Target Applications
In addition to the technical innovation, Macsen Labs emphasizes cost advantages such as using aluminium instead of copper for the cathode current collector and avoiding rare earths or cobalt, thus reducing overall materials cost. The sodium-ion cells are also designed to be compatible with existing lithium battery production lines, helping lower capital expenditure during scale-up.
The current Sodium-Ion battery technology developed by Macsen Labs, using Prussian White as cathode and hard carbon anode, is suitable for various applications including battery energy storage systems (BESS), grid and solar, household backup systems, short-range EVs, auto-rickshaws, two-wheelers, city buses, rural microgrids, and energy access solutions.
A Step Towards a Sustainable Energy Future
These developments mark Macsen Labs as a frontrunner in commercializing sodium-ion technology at scale, aiming to meet growing global energy storage demand in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. Achal Agrawal, CEO of Macsen Labs and lead researcher behind the project, stated that the real potential of sodium-ion batteries lies in stationary energy storage systems for renewable energy management, particularly in India's energy transition at scale.
Macsen is setting up a pilot-scale cell fabrication line to demonstrate the performance of Prussian White in commercial large-format cells. The pilot-scale production facility for Prussian White is expected to be operational by early 2026. Macsen Labs has filed a provisional patent for its proprietary synthesis process of Prussian White.
With the formation of Macsen Energy, Macsen Labs is positioning itself to advance sodium-ion batteries as a sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion. Achal Agrawal also emphasized that sodium-ion batteries present an opportunity for India to build a truly indigenous, scalable, and affordable energy storage ecosystem.
- Macsen Labs' recent advancements in sodium-ion battery technology, particularly the development of Prussian White cathode material, have extended beyond APIs, dyes, and specialty chemicals, venturing into the realms of science and finance by unlocking potential for technology commercialization.
- As Macsen Labs focuses on the future of energy storage, its efforts in technology innovation encompass not only improvements in sodium-ion cell performance but also cost reductions through the use of materials like aluminium, thereby bridging the gap between science, finance, and technology.
