Newly launched Innolith to challenge Li-ion batteries

Basel, Switzerland-based Innolith AG announced its launch on Wednesday with the ambition to bring to the market batteries that it says offer 10 times more cycles at one third of the cost of existing technologies.

The company's technology uses unconventional inorganic electrolyte and, in contrast to organic lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, is non-flammable and provides far greater durability, according to the announcement.

A prototype of the Innolith technology has been deployed on the US grid.

In a separate news release, the company said that its new battery technology when used in an Innolith GridBank system will have a lifetime throughput of more than 60 GWh of energy over its 50,000 cycle lifetime, leading to significant cost reductions for grid application batteries. The Innolith batteries will cost between one third and one tenth per cycle compared to conventional Li-ion batteries, which will support the wider adoption of batteries to make use of renewables and stabilise the grid, it added.

Innolith aims to start mass production in 2020, preceded by production line tests in 2019. Manufacturing will be carried out by partners, while the company will focus on research and development (R&D).

Greentech Media reported that Innolith is a relaunch of bankrupt battery firm Alevo. According to the article, Alevo executives have arranged the purchase of Alevo intellectual property in Switzerland, and also acquired Alevo's R&D centre in Germany and its operational battery facility in the US.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!