An analysis by the Japanese media showed that in the development competition of lithium-ion battery substitutes, China is constantly improving its strength. Over the past 10 years, national patent statistics related to post-lithium-ion battery technology show that China is in the leading position, accounting for more than half of all patents.
Ningde era will mass produce sodium-ion batteries
Sodium-ion batteries may be one of the most intensely contested technologies in the post-lithium-ion era . Japanese media’s analysis of its patents also shows that China maintains a leading position in this technology over Japan and the United States. Chinese companies are expected to start mass producing sodium-ion batteries this year. While Japan and the U.S. are also rushing to develop cheap alternatives to resource-constrained batteries to decarbonize, progress has lagged China.
Japan’s Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Strategic Research Institute used the patent analysis tool of LexisNexis, an American intellectual property information service provider, to analyze alternative technologies in the post-lithium-ion battery era. The results showed that as of December last year, the number of active patents for these alternative technologies was 9,862, an eleven-fold increase over the past decade.
If these companies and scientific research institutes with valid patents are ranked according to the country, China ranks first with 5,486 patents, accounting for more than 50% of the total patents. Japan, which ranked first until 2015, is now in second place with 1,192 patents, followed by the US with 719, South Korea with 595 and France with 128. Ranking the number of patents by institution, China also takes the lead. The analysis showed that seven Chinese institutions entered the top 10, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ningde Times.
Mitsui Research Institute assessed not only the number of patents, but also a composite index that takes “quality” into account. LexisNexis’ index scores these battery patents based on factors such as the number of citations to other patents. As a result, China ranked first with 4930 points, and the United States ranked second with 2630 points. Japan, which topped the list until 2017, came in third with 2,260 points.
Na-ion battery
Japanese media pointed out that China is particularly strong in the patent field of sodium-ion batteries, which are expected to replace today’s lithium-ion batteries in future electronic products . Sodium is an abundant resource that could reduce the use of scarce industrial materials such as lithium. Although their capacity will be lower than lithium-ion batteries, the cost will be reduced by 60% to 70%.
CATL, the world’s largest car battery maker, has announced plans to mass-produce and supply sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles by 2023. Other companies are also eager to commercialize the technology.
In terms of sodium-ion battery-related patents, China’s overall index has increased by 108 times in the past 10 years, which is two to three times that of the United States and Japan. China is also No. 1 in zinc-ion batteries, another next-generation battery pack that is expected to be very safe.
Japan has previously led the world in the race to develop today’s mainstream lithium-ion batteries. According to a 2020 report prepared by the European Patent Office and the International Energy Agency, 40% of patents related to lithium-ion batteries originated in Japan between 2014 and 2018. Of all the batteries used in electric vehicles, Japan holds the majority of patents.
The lithium and cobalt used in current batteries are mainly produced in South America and Africa. Lithium and cobalt prices have skyrocketed due to increased demand for electric vehicles. In China, the development of batteries produced from abundant resources such as sodium is accelerating as electric vehicles and renewable energy are being rapidly adopted. Meanwhile, the Chinese government is promoting the development of next-generation batteries to expand the use of renewable energy and electric vehicles. The 14th Five-Year Plan for Technological Innovation in the Energy Sector calls for a focus on research into sodium-ion batteries, a technology development that is expected to help reduce peaking in grid demand and promote the use of renewable energy.
While Japan and the U.S. lag behind in overall patent numbers, they still have an edge. Japan ranks first in the comprehensive evaluation of patents related to fluorine-ion batteries, and the United States ranks first in magnesium-ion batteries. Fluoride-ion batteries may have 10 times the capacity of Li-ion batteries.
The Japanese government is supporting research projects in industry and academia, including those being undertaken by Toyota, Nissan and Kyoto University. Some believe that the commercialization of next-generation batteries will arrive in the 2030s.
