Britain’s Oxis Energy, in conjunction with compatriot MSP Technologies, is to market lithium sulphur battery packs for marine applications in spring 2015.
Launched as part of MSP Technologies’ Ghost-Power range of diesel/battery hybrid power systems for motor boats, Oxis Energy’s lithium sulphur packs will be scalable from 20 kWh to 50 kWh upwards. The battery will be designed for Lloyd’s Register approval, which Oxis Energy claims will give safety assurance to customers while helping to lower insurance premiums.
Simon Patterson, CEO of MSP Technologies, said: “Lithium sulphur technology is the ideal solution for the marine industry, combining safety and lightweight aspects. Lithium sulphur cells are already lighter than the lightest lithium-Ion technology and the overall weight reduction provides significant improvement to both the capacity performance and efficiency of the battery technology.”
Commenting on the energy density of its lithium sulphur technology, Oxis Energy’s chief technology officer David Ainsworth told BEST: “We are currently achieving 265Wh/kg on prototype Li-S pouch cells and around 300Wh/kg in R&D cells.
“Other companies have publicised higher energy densities than this, but they have achieved them using volatile electrolyte systems that are unsafe. We have been able to achieve our energy density figures using electrolyte systems that show a high degree of safety.
“In terms of cost the cathode cost for our Li-S cells will be significantly cheaper than for Li-ion chemistries where the cathode material typically accounts for over 25% of the material cost of the cell. Additionally, all other material and processing costs in our Li-S cells are comparable to Li-ion chemistries, so at volume cell costs should be lower.”
