Lithium-ion batteries have become essential in powering our home electronics and fueling the electric vehicle revolution. However, they come with limitations that make them unsuitable for every situation.
A significant downside to lithium-ion technology is its flammability and toxicity, which can pose serious risks in densely populated urban environments and near industrial sites such as metal processing or chemical manufacturing facilities.
Enter Alsym Energy, a company that has engineered a nonflammable, nontoxic alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries, enabling renewable sources like wind and solar to meet energy storage needs across various industries. The electrodes utilize safe, widely available materials, while the electrolyte is predominantly water mixed with harmless additives.
“Renewable energy is intermittent, which necessitates effective storage solutions. To tackle decarbonization comprehensively, we must develop cost-effective batteries that can be produced globally,” explains Alsym co-founder and MIT Professor Kripa Varanasi.
The company is optimistic about its batteries’ potential to significantly lower emissions in the high-impact industrial sector and sees possibilities ranging from mining operations to residential energy solutions, utility providers, and beyond.
“We’re paving the way for decarbonization across markets that were previously unreachable,” asserts Alsym co-founder and CEO Mukesh Chatter. “No industrial site would consider using lithium batteries due to the inherent fire risks, and industrial emissions surpass those of passenger vehicles. Our approach offers a viable alternative.”
Empowering One Billion People
Chatter’s journey began with a telecommunications venture alongside renowned MIT alumni Ray Stata and Alec Dingee in 1997. After the company’s acquisition in 1999, Chatter explored new ventures until a personal tragedy in 2012 motivated him to focus solely on technologies capable of impacting over one billion lives.
“Our goal was to provide reliable electricity access to one billion people worldwide, including those living without power or enduring intermittent supply—a situation that effectively traps them in poverty,” Chatter emphasizes. “Lack of electricity correlates with limited access to the internet, mobile phones, and education.”
To address this critical issue, Chatter initiated research into a new type of battery. This battery had to be affordable for low-income communities, safe for urban deployment, and powerful enough to support essential appliances like lights, fans, fridges, and internet modems.
Initially, Chatter faced challenges in finding researchers willing to take on the ambitious project due to the high perceived risk of failure.
“It’s a pressing issue but the stakes were so high that few wanted to proceed,” he recalls.
His perseverance paid off when he partnered with Varanasi, Nikhil Koratkar from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and researcher Rahul Mukherjee. Varanasi credits MIT’s culture with empowering him to tackle significant challenges over his 22-year tenure.
“The support from students, postdocs, and colleagues at MIT has been truly inspiring,” he states. “The environment encourages us to confront formidable problems head-on.”
Varanasi leads an interdisciplinary MIT lab focusing on innovative solutions in energy, agriculture, and technology. His work has birthed numerous startups, products, and processes aimed at addressing diverse challenges.
“My experience at MIT has opened various research avenues, and I applied that knowledge toward developing our groundbreaking battery technology,” he explains.
Alsym’s founders set out to create a battery that met Chatter’s criteria from scratch, avoiding lithium and cobalt to ensure safety and sustainability.
After exploring multiple chemistries, the team finalized the battery’s design in 2020.
While the specific composition remains confidential during the patent process, it’s known that one electrode primarily consists of manganese oxide, while the other derives from a metal oxide, with the electrolyte mainly made of water.
Alsym’s new battery chemistry offers several advantages, including enhanced safety and sustainability. This allows for closer battery packing, eliminating the need for extensive safety measures or cooling systems commonly associated with lithium-ion batteries. Varanasi notes that these batteries can be manufactured in existing lithium-ion facilities with minimal modifications and significantly lower operational costs.
“This is a thrilling moment for us,” Chatter conveys. “We initially aimed to illuminate the homes of one billion people, but now we can potentially make a global impact by reducing industrial emissions.”
A Transformative Energy Storage Solution
Although Alsym’s batteries may not match the energy density of lithium-ion cells, Varanasi insists they excel among alternative chemistries at the system level. A 20-foot container of Alsym batteries can deliver 1.7 megawatt hours of electricity, capable of fast charging in just four hours and configured for discharge durations ranging from two to 110 hours.
“Our design allows for high adaptability, crucial for diverse regional energy needs, ensuring the capacity to operate effectively with both solar and wind sources for continuous electricity generation,” Chatter explains. “Long-duration storage may represent a smaller market, but we can support that need.”
For the past two years, Alsym has been producing battery prototypes at a small facility in Woburn, Massachusetts. Earlier this year, they increased production capacity and began supplying samples for field testing to various customers.
The company collaborates with utility providers, municipalities, generator manufacturers, and behind-the-meter energy suppliers for commercial and residential applications. They are also in talks with major chemical companies and metal processing firms to devise energy storage systems aimed at minimizing their carbon footprints, a goal that was previously unachievable with lithium-ion batteries due to fire risks or with non-lithium alternatives due to their substantial space demands.
Data centers represent another vital market. With the increasing energy consumption driven by AI, maintaining sustainability is imperative.
“We must support the AI and digital transformation without endangering the planet,” Varanasi asserts, adding that lithium batteries pose risks for co-location with data centers. “Alsym’s batteries provide a safer, more sustainable option.”
Varanasi envisions Alsym as a platform company, stating they are developing additional battery chemistries that offer higher densities and better performance at extreme temperatures.
“Relying on a single material for batteries is unsustainable as global demand rises,” Varanasi points out. “Our approach allows us to innovate with multiple chemistries tailored for various applications, preventing material shortages.”
Photo credit & article inspired by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
