University of Rhode Island granted $50 million by U.S. Department of Energy
New England Council member, the University of Rhode Island, was awarded a 5-year long $50 million award by the U.S. Department of Energy to develop sodium-ion batteries—a sustainable, low-cost alternative to lithium-ion technology. The university is one of eight research organizations that are a part of the federal incentive.
The funds will be used to establish the Low-cost Earth-abundant Na-ion Storage (LENS) consortium, led by DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory. The consortium is focused on using sodium, a common element, to cut costs and lower risks.
Venkat Srinivasan, director of the LENS consortium, stated that the goal is to improve sodium-ion batteries to store as much or more energy as lithium-ion batteries while reducing reliance on rare materials and maintaining durability, safety, and cost-effectiveness.
“Importantly, any improvements must not compromise other performance metrics such as cycle life and safety,” said Srinivasan.
The New England Council congratulates the University of Rhode Island for receiving this funding to contribute to a secure energy future.
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