Ambri’s liquid metal battery storage technology has received a UL 1973 safety certification

Ambri, a pioneer in energy storage systems based on high-temperature liquid metal batteries, has received UL 1973 certification, a key US technology initiative.

The certification ensures that batteries used in stationary energy storage and ancillary mobility applications can safely withstand similar abuse conditions.

It is considered important for energy storage technologies to exist in many markets, especially in the US, and gives developers as well as their investors and lenders some confidence in their choice of equipment. Ambri testing was conducted by UL Solutions.

The tests included do not evaluate the performance or quality of batteries or systems, but rather their safety and abuse. Other key standards that apply to battery storage include the International Fire Code, the UL9540A thermal runaway test, and the American National Fire Protection Association NFPA855.

Ambri said he is now working to obtain other key certifications.

By evaluating, verifying and validating key factors that take into account the overall condition of the battery system, UL Solutions supports Ambri’s commitment to battery system safety and performance. Thank you for placing your trust in us to deliver on that promise,” said UL Solutions Product Manager Maurice Johnson, who added that UL 1973 covers battery safety requirements for many commercial chemistries and is not technology specific.

In fact, the standard has been updated a few times to include different types of battery technology and the latest iteration was published in February this year.

Ambri battery components include liquid calcium alloy anodes, molten salt electrolyte, and antioxidants in the cathode. The technology company is an outgrowth of laboratories at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where founder Professor Donald Sadoway is based.

Housed in stainless steel enclosures and integrated into containerized DC-coupled battery energy storage systems (BESS), the batteries operate at temperatures up to 500°C but, unlike lithium-ion batteries, are not at risk of thermal runaway, electrolyte decomposition or outgassing. , which makes them safe, the company claims.

As the professor received the Invention Award in June, Sadoway said he had begun to develop a low-cost technology to combat the climate crisis using as many widely available raw materials as possible.

In the year In 2021, Ambri secured US$144 million in Series A funding, while simultaneously securing a long-term supply agreement for the insecticide with an investor partner. It is currently expanding its manufacturing facility in Massachusetts and adding a complex innovation center.

The company also says some big deals are on the table with customers: most recently, renewable energy producer and retailer Earth & Wind in South Africa ordered a 300MW/1,400MWh Ambri system in June. In the year In November 2020, Ambri announced an agreement to supply 250MWh of liquid metal batteries to sustainable infrastructure developer TerraScale’s new data center development in Nevada, US.