Scaling multi-layer sodium-ion pouch cells towards commercialisation

Over 2024/5 NEXGENNA has made significant strides in the development of scalable, low-cost sodium-ion battery technology. Key achievements include scaling up the synthesis of novel active materials from milligrams to hundreds of grammes and developing a cost-effective, scalable flow synthesis process for electrolytes. These advancements enabled the manufacture and testing of multi-layer pouch cells at the Colin Vincent Centre at the University of St Andrews.

This marks a critical shift from the project’s production and testing of new materials at laboratory coin cell scale (~1 cm² electrode area) to industrially relevant pouch cells scale (~300 cm² in three-layer configurations). Prototype pouch cells have been fabricated using both project developed materials and commercial components, for benchmarking purposes and skills development at the prototyping line, setting the stage for higher-volume production.

A major milestone was the development of a new calcium-doped layered oxide cathode, building on foundational work by STFC. Synthesised at scale by teams at St Andrews and Birmingham, this cathode was successfully integrated into five-layer pouch cells, paired with commercial anodes. Energy density projections indicate the system could reach 165 Wh/kg in full-scale formats, with good cycle life and power capability.

Future efforts will target increasing active material content and electrode thickness, optimising the relative amounts of anode and cathode, and reducing electrolyte volume. This engineering programme is vital for demonstrating competitive performance and de-risking commercial adoption of sodium-ion battery technology in the UK.

Image: An electrode stacking machine at the Colin Vincent Centre for Battery Technology at the University of St Andrews.

Case study published December 2025.