Syntropic Power and UNIGRID Inc. have entered a strategic partnership to commercialize sodium chromium oxide (NaCrO₂ or NCO) battery technology in North America and establish a pathway to U.S. cell production. The collaboration targets deployment of 1 gigawatt-hour (GWh) of NCO-based energy storage systems in 2027, integrating UNIGRID’s independently validated chemistry into Syntropic’s Tenet™ residential solution and GridSpan™ large-scale platform. Syntropic will oversee system design, manufacturing, and deployment.
UNIGRID’s NCO chemistry, distinct from more common sodium nickel iron manganese oxide (NFM) and sodium iron pyrophosphate (NFPP) formulations, underwent independent evaluation at the Rochester Institute of Technology Battery Development Center, an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory. Testing of 210 Ah prismatic cells showed discharge capacities of 216–218 Ah, round-trip energy efficiencies of at least 97.9%, and only 2.3% capacity loss between C/10 and 1C rates. The cells demonstrated endothermic behavior during charging and maintained over 99% capacity after 1,000 full-depth-of-discharge cycles. Abuse tests confirmed thermal stability under extreme conditions, and the cells have passed UN 38.3 transport testing, UL 9540A, and IEC 62619 certifications.
The first shipment of NCO cells has been delivered to Syntropic for integration into its stationary energy storage offerings. Near-term commercialization will begin with Tenet™, a wall-mounted system designed for residential, light-commercial, and virtual power plant applications. GridSpan™, the modular DC platform, will extend NCO chemistry into grid-scale deployments, supporting durations from approximately 20 minutes to 20 hours.
UNIGRID CEO Darren H. S. Tan noted that the chemistry’s inherent stability and high-power capability address the growing demands of AI, electrification, and extreme weather. Syntropic CTO Matt Huber highlighted the value of independent data in optimizing electrical architecture, operating controls, and passive thermal management to enable operation without active cooling. Syntropic CEO Phillip Martin emphasized the importance of pairing validated chemistry with U.S. manufacturing and purpose-built design to deliver accessible, safe, and sustainable energy storage. The partners aim to establish a non-FEOC-aligned U.S. supply pathway by the end of 2027.
Source: GlobeNewswire
