CALB, China’s third largest battery manufacturer, has unveiled its new 314 Ah cell for energy storage solutions. At the RE+ trade show in Las Vegas, CALB representatives said the upgraded cell contains new lithium replenishment technology, extending the lifespan of the battery pack to 15,000 charge cycles.
This corresponds to 25 years of use in standard conditions. There are two versions: one air cooled, the other liquid cooled.
The chemistry remains within the LFP4 (also called LiFePo4) range. CALB has a long experience from LFP battery production of 3.2 V prismatic cells for various purposes. Another new product is the U-battery, which holds both plus and minus poles on one side of the housing. The U-battery cell can be charged with up to 6C in the NMC version. There is also a pure LFP version and an LFMP version with manganese, having a specified energy density up to 200 Wh/kg.
CALB guarantees zero degradation for the new battery cell during the first 1,000 charge cycles. This has been achieved through extensive optimisation, which offers a round-trip efficiency of up to 96%. The new cell is suitable for scalable systems and, according to CALB, it should be a flexible option for many commercial applications.
The first batch deliveries took place in September 2023. CALB claims to be the first manufacturer to start mass production of 300 Ah+ cells. It is investing in a manufacturing facility in Portugal. The plant is expected to be operational in early 2026 with an annual capacity of 15 GWh.
The company said the debut of the new 314 Ah battery cell marks an important step in electrochemical energy storage.
It already produces batteries for the Nio ES6, Smart #3, and XPeng G9 vehicles.
