China’s first lithium-sodium hybrid energy storage power station has officially commenced operations, providing green energy to 270,000 households.
On Sunday, the first lithium-sodium hybrid energy storage power station in China was put into operation, marking a significant step forward in the large-scale application of hybrid battery storage. Located in Yunnan, the Baochi Energy Storage Station (BESS) combines the advantages of lithium-ion and sodium-ion battery technologies.
This hybrid system boasts a longer cycle life and faster response speed, maintaining stable performance in temperature ranges from -20 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius. The hybrid power system helps balance the grid, benefiting from China’s abundant sodium resource reserves and providing a cost-effective solution for large-scale energy storage.
Covering approximately 50 acres (about 3.3 hectares, equivalent to five standard football fields), the station has a total installed capacity of 400 megawatt-hours. It can complete two full charge-discharge cycles daily, generating up to 580 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, which is sufficient to meet the energy needs of nearly 270,000 households for an entire year. Notably, nearly 98% of the electricity is derived from renewable sources.
The core of the station features China’s first large-capacity sodium-ion battery system, which has a response speed six times faster than traditional systems. By coupling cutting-edge sodium battery technology with established lithium battery technology, the station significantly enhances grid regulation capabilities, ensuring smoother integration of wind and solar power.
In Yunnan, where nearly 70% of energy comes from clean sources, this hybrid energy storage station serves over 30 renewable energy sites across the province. As the integration of high proportions of renewable energy into the grid presents stability challenges, such innovative technologies are crucial for balancing electricity supply and demand. “The station supports more than 30 wind and solar power plants in Yunnan, and lithium-sodium hybrid storage technology enables more stable integration of large-scale renewable energy, providing support for future participation in electricity market transactions,” said Wu Bin, deputy manager of the Baochi Energy Storage Station project.
The system can flexibly switch between charge and discharge modes based on the output of renewable energy, effectively smoothing out fluctuations in energy supply. In the future, this technology could be applied in regions with high renewable energy penetration, such as Tibet, Xinjiang, Gansu, and Ningxia, supporting the stable delivery of energy from large renewable energy bases in deserts, gobi, and arid areas.
Sodium resources bolster energy security. The surge in global lithium resource demand has raised concerns about supply security. Currently, about 70% of lithium battery materials in China are imported, whereas sodium resources can be sourced from salt mines, seawater, and salt lakes, with domestic reserves being ample and exhibiting superior performance, capable of stable operation within a temperature range of 45 degrees Celsius.
“Seventy percent of the materials for lithium battery production come from overseas, making production highly reliant on imports. Sodium battery raw materials can be extracted from salt mines, seawater, and salt lakes; for instance, the sodium resources in the Cha’erhan Salt Lake are 500 times those of global lithium resources,” emphasized Chen Man, a member of the National Power Storage Technology Committee, in a recent interview with CCTV.
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