Next-gen chemistry delivers three times the cycle life of lithium-ion
UNIGRID Inc., the ultra-safe sodium-ion battery company, today announced a breakthrough in long-cycle life cell performance, setting a new benchmark for the stationary storage industry. Its proprietary NaCrO2 (NCO) sodium-ion chemistry has achieved 5,000 full-depth cycles (100% depth of discharge) with greater than 95% capacity retention in commercial-grade cells. This milestone translates to an expected cycle life of 20,000 and operational life of up to 25 years, finally bringing battery lifespan in line with the multi-decade warranties of solar PV assets.
For more than a decade, solar-plus-storage projects have operated with a built-in mismatch. Solar panels are designed to perform for 25 years or longer, yet conventional lithium-ion batteries typically degrade within 7 to 10 years under daily 100% depth of discharge cycling. This disparity forces project owners to budget for costly mid-life battery replacements, introducing reinvestment risk, complicating financing structures, and undermining long-term bankability.
UNIGRID’s proprietary NCO chemistry eliminates that structural weakness. By delivering more than three times the cycle life of conventional lithium-ion systems, UNIGRID transforms energy storage from a depreciating, replacement-driven component into long-life, financeable infrastructure. The result is energy storage designed to last as long as the assets it powers.
“This 25-year lifespan changes the economics of energy storage,” said Darren H. S. Tan, CEO of UNIGRID. “Instead of planning for costly battery replacements halfway through a project, operators can now align storage with the full life of their solar assets. That opens the door to more predictable financing models like Battery-as-a-Service and long-term energy leasing, while reducing risk and lowering lifetime costs across the grid.”
UNIGRID’s technology is uniquely suited for high-utilization applications where reliability, safety, and longevity are critical. From renewable energy storage systems (RESS) that cycle daily alongside solar and wind assets, to commercial and industrial (C&I) microgrids requiring dependable, long-life performance, UNIGRID’s sodium-ion platform is built for sustained operation. The technology is also well positioned for datacenters and UPS systems, where uptime is non-negotiable, as well as extreme weather backup scenarios where conventional lithium-ion batteries often suffer performance degradation.
