Hithium's 300 Ah stationary battery cell reaches 12,000 cycle life

The 300 Ah cell developed and manufactured by stationary battery producer Hithium has succeeded in reducing degradation in the first 1,000 cycles to under 2%, versus the industry-typical 6%. The cell also extended the product’s lifespan to beyond 12,000 cycles.

The company achieved the breakthrough in part by modifying the anode with a technology for the active and sustained release of lithium ions. The Hithium LFP 300 Ah cells, unlike normal LFP cells, still retain their rated capacity after the first 1,000 cycles. They are subsequently able to maintain this advantage, in terms of slowed degradation, over their entire lifetime. Batteries with Hithium LFP 300 Ah cells can thus realise an 18% higher energy throughput during their lifetime, compared to commercially available LFP cells.

Cell chemistry and cooling technology optimised for safety

Hithium has increased the intrinsic safety of LFP battery technology further and developed its own proprietary LFP. By means of a so-called lattice doping, the Hithium team has achieved both a higher capacity and a lowered internal resistance of the cell.

The company delivers cabinets and containers based on the 300 Ah cells, including its 4 MWh-capacity container, all deploying its proprietary immersion liquid-cooling technology. Hithium also offers the 300 Ah and other LFP battery cells and liquid-cooled modules based on them to other battery storage manufacturers for use in their products.

Of the most commonly used lithium oxides, lithium iron phosphate is the most temperature-resistant, only becoming sensitive at approximately 220°C. Lithium-ion batteries can burn if damaged or heated to extreme temperatures, because of the sensitivity to excess temperatures of the lithium-mixed oxides used in the cell. There are lithium oxides for which so-called thermal runaway occurs at temperatures as low as ca. 180°C. Relative to other kinds, LFP cells have the greatest thermal safety reserves.

Inverter suppliers confirm BESS manufacturer Hithium’s compatibility

Hithium has also been able to demonstrate technical compatibility with major suppliers of power control systems (PCS) or bidirectional inverters. The PCS are compatible with Hithium’s container solutions based on its 280 Ah and 300 Ah cells.

As a producer of cells, battery modules, up to full DC-side solutions, Hithium teams up with PCS suppliers on systems and projects. The manufacturer has worked with a range of inverter-makers to confirm that the company’s battery products match well with the inverters’ important technical parameters, including DC input range and maximum short-circuit current.

Hithium confirmed compatibility with brands including SMA, Gamesa, Delta Electronics, IngeTeam, Power Electronics and Sineng Electric. The assessments look at PCS for both IEC and UL versions, and come on the heels of the manufacturer’s European and Australian market entries earlier this summer.

Winfried Wahl, Hithium Germany Senior Product Manager, explained: “The determination of compatibility allows customers and investors to pre-select matching PCS for their projects. Projects still of course need detailed design planning and to implement communication checks between energy management systems, BESS and the PCS. This confirmation from major suppliers is nonetheless a crucial step, following our European market entry in June, toward delivering clear, transparent product information.”

Liquid-cooling technology landmark at 140 MWh project

Hithium served as the core supplier for China Southern Power Grid Company’s (CSG) first 100+ MWh-level, grid-side standalone energy storage project. Located in Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, the plant has an energy storage capacity of 140 MWh and deploys advanced LFP battery products from Hithium.

The power station is also the world’s first to be fully supplied with immersion liquid-cooling energy storage products, making it a milestone application of the safer, more efficient technology. With construction lasting just four months from start to a trial operation, the plant can discharge almost 81 million kWh per year.

Marked as a “demonstration project” for the city of nearly 4 million by the province’s Energy Department and CSG, the standalone storage facility is intended to provide the region with greater energy security and stability, particularly enabling a more reliable supply of renewables.

Hithium was selected to deliver the plant’s battery systems after demonstrating high levels of product safety, durability and efficiency. The station is designed to realize a wide array of functions including peak shaving and greater operational stability and safety for the grid.

Customer-centricity at scale? Agility required

“Projects like the one in Meizhou City are exactly why we built Hithium’s technology and culture around customer-centricity. CSG and the province needed this project delivered quickly, safely and with a very high quality of product,” explained Jason Wang, Hithium General Manager and co-founder. “So we set up a special service team to coordinate the entire process, from manufacturing and shipping the batteries to ensuring timely project development and the professionalism of the process.”

Hithium also recently provided 198 MWh of LFP battery energy storage products for a 200 MWh-capacity centralized, shared energy storage plant developed by China Resources Power Holdings. The power station is the first of this kind to operate commercially in Heze City, a metropolitan region with a population of nearly 8.3 million, and it also serves as a key energy storage project for Shandong Province, where it is located.

To meet continuing demand from large-scale energy storage projects, Hithium is expanding its production capacity to 70 GWh by end of 2023.

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Top image credit: Winfried Wahl, Senior Director Product Management, Hithium Germany at Messe München 2023. Image credit: Benz und Heinig