15 August 2024
Gelion plc
("Gelion"
or the "Company" or the "Group")
GEN 3
Lithium-Sulfur Battery Development Update
Advancements towards
unlocking the potential of sulfur batteries for a wider range of
global applications
Gelion (AIM: GELN), the
Anglo-Australian battery innovator, announces an update on its Next
Generation ("GEN 3") Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) battery
development.
Building on the announcements made
in March and April 2024, Gelion has now successfully developed 1 Ah
semi-solid-state Li-S pouch cells with its GEN 3 cell technology.
The Company's modelling from these 1 Ah GEN 3 cells predicts that a
10 Ah cell can be expected to deliver energy density greater than
400 Wh/kg.
Gelion's GEN 3 technology uses a
unique sulfur cathode material (fabricated using a unique, low
energy process carried out at room temperature), water-based
cathode processing (non-toxic), and a proprietary liquid
electrolyte. The GEN 3 platform is based on a specially engineered
formulation of commercially available materials in combination with
abundant sulfur to demonstrate high energy density and operational
temperature capability.
John Wood, CEO of Gelion commented on the
development:
"Gelion has
assembled a formidable technology base and team to progress its
development program towards unlocking the full potential of this
important cell chemistry. As an evolution of GEN 2, the GEN 3 cell
not only retains the high energy density of its predecessor but
also offers enhanced functionality. It is designed to surpass the
GEN 2 cell in both performance and manufacturability, paving the
way for scalable production."
Gelion's LiS Technology Development Pathway
Benefits of Gelion's GEN 3 over GEN 2
·
Higher energy
density - Energy density expected to
be greater than 400 Wh/kg, when using a 10 Ah pouch
cell.
·
Increased longevity/cycle life:
GEN 3 employs new sulfur chemistry to increase stability,
addressing the major degradation factors
associated with conventional Li-S technology.
·
Increased sulfur
utilisation: GEN 3 demonstrates the
full theoretical capacity of sulfur, i.e. a much higher sulfur
utilisation than found in conventional Li-S approaches.
·
Simplified supply
chain: The innovative cathode
combines specially engineered, but commercially available,
materials with abundant sulfur that are produced using a
low-energy, room-temperature process, eliminating the need for
pre-processing, streamlining the battery production process and
enabling localised manufacturing.
·
Environmental and economic benefits:
The water-based, atmospheric cathode production
process eliminates
the need for toxic solvents, leading to significant cost savings
and enhanced manufacturability.
GEN 3 uses the extensive network of
Li-S technologies developed within Gelion and contained in the
patents acquired from Johnson Matthey in March 2023.
Addressing the key barriers to
commercialisation
The GEN 3 semi-solid-state Li-S cell
builds on the GEN 2 Li-S cell (developed by OXIS Energy) and
addresses the key barriers to commercialisation faced by typical
lithium-sulfur developers.
Sulfur, being an abundant material,
offers a future not limited by geographically concentrated and
controlled battery metals. However, other lithium-sulfur developers
often require the use of hard to obtain, rare or costly materials
and have to rely on high-energy and time-consuming processes.
Gelion's GEN 3 platform and production process circumvents these
barriers.
The GEN 3 cell is designed to
tolerate higher operational temperatures by using Gelion's
proprietary 'SulfurLock electrolyte' - which is free from
temperature-sensitive additives typically found in Li-S batteries.
Additionally, this electrolyte has been engineered to prevent
sulfur redistribution during operation, increasing cycle life,
addressing the primary cause of degradation in Li-S
batteries.
Gelion's cathode uses a proprietary
sulfur active cathode material, fabricated using a unique, low
energy process performed at room temperature. By using this
process, Gelion can eliminate the need to pre-fabricate the
cathode-active material. This has the potential to simplify the
battery supply chain and make the production of sulfur batteries
not only easier, but also more cost efficient than is the case for
lithium-ion batteries, enhancing the manufacturing options
geographically.
The cathode utilised in this new
cell design is fabricated using a water-based process and standard
atmospheric conditions. Compared with current battery production,
this will enable replacement of toxic solvents and produce large
electricity and cost savings for cathode production.
Gelion's GEN 3 cell is another step
toward unlocking the potential of sulfur batteries for a wide range
of global applications including electrical
vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL), drone markets, electric
vehicles (EVs) and stationary energy storage (ESS).
CONTACTS
|
Gelion plc
John Wood, CEO
Amit Gupta, CFO
Thomas Maschmeyer, Founder and
Principal Technology Advisor
|
via Alma
|
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Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (Nominated Adviser and Broker)
|
+44 207 220
0500
|
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Corporate Finance
Neil McDonald; Seamus Fricker;
Fergus Sullivan
Sales
Leif Powis
|
|
|
Alma Strategic Communications (Financial PR Adviser)
Justine James; Hannah Campbell; Will
Ellis Hancock
|
+44 20 3405
0205
gelion@almastrategic.com
|
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Glossary
|
Ah
|
Ampere hours. A measure of capacity
stored in the cell. The larger the number the higher the
capacity.
|
|
Energy density (Wh/kg)
|
The ratio of energy stored per unit
weight i.e. Watt-hours per kilogram. The higher the number the
lighter the battery.
|
|
Pouch cell
|
An industry standard format of a
battery which comprises a flat pouch-shaped design with a
multi-layered laminate structure.
|
|
Solid-to-solid conversion
|
A low or polysulfide-free conversion
of sulfur within the cathode. Polysulfides are a dissolved form of
sulfur that is corrosive and reduces cycle life in traditional
lithium-sulfur batteries. Solid-to-solid conversion helps mitigate
the formation of these polysulfides.
|
About Gelion
Gelion ("gel: ion") is a global
energy storage innovator, supporting the transition to a more
sustainable economy by commercialising two globally important next
generation technologies: Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) and Zinc-based (Zn)
hybrid cells to electrify mobile and stationary applications.
Gelion plc (the Group) is listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM
market and wholly owns Australia based Gelion Technologies Pty Ltd.
Gelion is designing and delivering innovative battery technology to
enable that transition and return value for its customers and
investors.
Lithium Sulfur
Gelion's effort is directed at the
potential for the Li-S chemistry to deliver double the gravimetric
energy density of standard Lithium-ion chemistries whilst
concurrently reducing cost and increasing safety, targeting the EV
and e-aviation market, helping to make global transport, energy
consumption and storage more sustainable.
Gelion is developing a product for
its high energy density sulfur cathode at its expanded R&D
facilities in Sydney, enabling it to integrate with a variety of
anodes ranging from graphite to silicon to lithium metal, depending
on the targeted application.
Gelion recently also expanded in the
UK by acquiring OXLiD Ltd, significantly increasing its capability
in cathode improvement and thereby accelerating a path to
commercial partners and commercialisation.
Zinc
Gelion is adapting its zinc
technology to comprise an alternate cathode technology, a zinc
hybrid cell to develop complementary next-generation batteries for
the lead-acid eco-system. Early testing indicates that this
solution has the potential to maintain good energy density levels
with enhanced cost and safety aspects. Once fully developed, Gelion
intends for its zinc technology to provide a durable and
sustainable market extension within the ecosystem that supports
lead-acid batteries.
