Swiss-based energy storage company Phenogy has completed the installation of Europe’s largest sodium-ion battery to date, near Bremen Airport in northern Germany.

Massive sodium-ion battery completed

This project delivers 400 kW of power and 1 MWh of storage capacity, marking the Swiss manufacturer’s first commercial foray into the European energy storage market. The project is seen as a significant milestone in achieving the company’s fully integrated local production goals.

The installed system is currently designed for commercial and industrial use. The battery system integrates with an existing 50 kW solar panel. Currently operating in island mode, the battery optimizes on-site energy consumption and provides power to electric vehicle charging stations.

The company announced that the system, dubbed PHENOGY 1.0, is designed for a wide range of applications, including industrial, commercial, grid, critical infrastructure, and EV charging applications.

A primary challenge in the widespread use of sodium-ion batteries is inverter compatibility due to the wide voltage range. Therefore, a critical technology choice was made for the project.

Phenogy integrated eight of SMA’s Sunny Island X 50 inverters into the container. These inverters are designed to support applications beyond the common LFP chemistry and offer greater flexibility in voltage matching thanks to integrated DC-DC converters.

Sodium-ion batteries have emerged as a strong alternative to lithium-ion technology in recent years. Thanks to sodium’s abundance and relatively low extraction costs, this technology offers a cheaper and more sustainable option than lithium.

However, China currently holds the leading position in this field for technological development and large-scale projects. Companies such as CATL, BYD, and Huawei are pioneering 100 MW projects and hybrid systems.