Unigrid has begun international, commercial‑scale shipments of its NCO sodium‑ion cells, marking a significant moment for the sector.
The company is now the first sodium‑ion battery company outside China to export the technology at volume, supported by key transport approvals and a manufacturing strategy designed to avoid the heavy costs of traditional gigafactory buildouts.
The company’s model sidesteps the usual barriers associated with scaling new chemistries. Instead of constructing dedicated facilities, Unigrid uses a fab‑less, foundry‑subscription approach, working with manufacturing partners to produce its proprietary cells. This structure enables faster expansion and allows Grade A sodium‑ion cells to be dispatched directly from partner foundries to customers in standard 40ft shipping containers.
Progress accelerated after the company secured UN38.3 transport certification for its sodium‑ion cells, clearing a major requirement for global movement of battery products. By late 2025, Unigrid had advanced from pilot‑scale output to full commercial export volumes. Several ports handled sodium‑ion shipments for the first time, requiring authorities to establish new procedures for a chemistry previously overshadowed by lithium‑ion.
“This milestone validates a path for us to bring safe, scalable NCO sodium-ion technology to global markets,” said Darren H. S. Tan, CEO and co‑founder of Unigrid. “Through collaboration with our foundry partners, we’ve proven that advanced battery chemistries can be commercialised without massive capital buildouts.”
With certification and logistics hurdles now addressed, the company is positioned to begin meeting its off‑take commitments during 2026.
