Nine Tech Pursues Development of Sodium ESS Battery System with Subsidiary Energy 11

Nine Tech, a company specializing in secondary battery equipment, announced on the 17th that it is pursuing the development of a battery system for ESS using sodium batteries together with its subsidiary, Energy11.

As the importance of ESS expands due to power grid variability and the increasing share of renewable energy, and driven by rising power demand from data centers and industries, as well as the expansion of variable power sources such as solar and wind power, ESS is establishing itself as a core facility for maintaining power stability beyond simple storage devices. Sodium batteries are attracting attention as a next-generation storage technology capable of securing price competitiveness and a stable supply chain.

NineTech is enhancing its verification process for the commercialization of sodium ESS by combining existing battery equipment technology with a digital twin-based operating model. Digital twin is a technology that predicts performance and status by utilizing operational data through the construction of a virtual model identical to the actual system. In the battery industry, it is utilized at various stages, including cell-level electrochemical analysis, module and rack-level thermal management and safety evaluation, and optimization of overall ESS site operations.

For new battery technologies with limited operational data, digital twin-based verification is considered a key means of shortening the commercialization schedule. NineTech and Energy11 plan to confirm the feasibility of commercializing sodium ESS through verification strategies at the cell, module, and site stages.

First, we plan to analyze cell performance and degradation characteristics at the laboratory stage, verify thermal management and operational characteristics using a rack-unit pilot system, and finally confirm long-term performance and maintenance systems at an actual ESS site.

"Sodium batteries are attracting attention as a next-generation energy storage technology, but systematic verification is crucial due to limited empirical data," a NineTech official said. "We will secure technological reliability through a digital twin-based verification model and lay the foundation to accelerate the commercialization schedule."

Meanwhile, in the global ESS market, not only battery technology but also the ability to secure operational data and utilize prediction models is emerging as a determining factor in competitiveness.

• See more related articles