Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

Beijing, April 4 (Xinhua) China is constantly improving its strength in the competition to develop alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, according to an analysis by Japanese media. Over the past decade, national patent statistics related to post-lithium-ion battery technology show that China is in the lead, accounting for more than half of all patents.

Ningde era will mass-produce sodium-ion battery sodium-ion battery may be the most competitive technology in the post-lithium-ion battery era. Japanese media analysis of its patents also shows that China maintains a leading position over Japan and the United States in this technology. Chinese companies are expected to start mass-producing sodium-ion batteries this year. Although Japan and the US are also rushing to develop cheap alternatives to replace resource-constrained batteries to achieve decarbonization, progress lags behind China.

Mitsui property Strategy Research Institute of Japan uses the patent analysis tool of LexisNexis, an American intellectual property information service provider, to analyze the alternative technologies in the post-lithium-ion battery era. The results show that as of December last year, the number of valid patents for these alternative technologies was 9862, an eleven-fold increase in the past decade.

If these enterprises and scientific research institutes with valid patents are ranked according to the country, China ranks first with 5486 patents, accounting for more than 50% of the total patents. Japan, which ranked first until 2015, now ranks second with 1192 patents, followed by 719 in the United States, 595 in South Korea and 128 in France. China also takes the lead in ranking the number of patents by institution. According to the analysis, China has seven institutions in the top 10, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Ningde era.

The Mitsui Institute assessed not only the number of patents, but also a composite index that takes "quality" into account. LexisNexis's index rates battery patents based on factors such as the number of times other patents are cited. As a result, China ranked first with a score of 4930 and the United States ranked second with a score of 2630. Japan, which topped the list until 2017, ranked third with a score of 2260.

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 a rich resource that can reduce the use of scarce industrial materials such as lithium. Although they will have less capacity than lithium-ion batteries, the cost will be reduced by 60% to 70%.

Ningde Times, the world's largest car battery maker, has announced plans to mass-produce and supply sodium 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 108-fold in the past decade, two to three times that of the United States and Japan. China also ranks first in zinc-ion batteries, another next-generation battery pack that is expected to be very safe.

Previously, Japan has been in the leading position in the world in the competition 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 lithium-ion battery-related patents originated in Japan between 2014 and 2018. Of all the batteries used in electric vehicles, Japan accounts for most of the patents.

Lithium and cobalt currently used in batteries are mainly produced in South America and Africa. The prices of lithium and cobalt have skyrocketed as demand for electric cars has increased. In China, with the rapid adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy, the development of batteries rich in resources such as sodium is accelerating. At the same time, 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 scientific and technological innovation in the energy field calls for a focus on sodium ion batteries, a technology that is expected to help reduce peak regulation of grid demand and promote the use of renewable energy.

Although Japan and the United States lag behind in the overall number of patents, they still have an advantage. Japan ranks first in the comprehensive evaluation of patents related to fluoride-ion batteries, while the United States ranks first in magnesium-ion batteries. The capacity of fluorine-ion battery may be 10 times that of lithium-ion battery.

The Japanese government is supporting research projects in industry and academia, including those being carried out by Toyota, Nissan and Kyoto University. Some people believe that the commercialization of the next generation of batteries will come in the 1930s.

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