New Sodium-Ion Battery Breakthrough Doubles Capacity and Desalinates Water
A research team from the University of Surrey has unveiled a major leap forward for sodium-ion batteries—and it comes with a surprising side benefit: the ability to desalinate water. The team discovered that by leaving a key battery material, nanostructured sodium vanadate hydrate (NVOH), in its natural hydrated state rather than removing the water as is typically done, the resulting batteries performed dramatically better. The redesigned cells stored twice as much charge as conventional sodium-ion batteries and maintained stability for over 400 charge cycles—putting their performance on par with some of the best cathode materials currently available. “Our results were completely unexpected,” said Dr. Daniel Commandeur, Surrey Future Fellow. “Sodium vanadium oxide has been used for years, but everyone assumed the water content was a problem. When we kept it in, the battery performed far better than anyone anticipated.” Even more striking, the researchers found that the same chemistry could be used for water desalination. The material’s behaviour in salt-water suggests a potential to not only store energy but also purify water—a dual-purpose capability that could open up entirely new applications for energy and water management. “The ability to use sodium vanadate hydrate in salt water means sodium-ion batteries could do more than store energy—they could also help remove salt from water,” Dr Commandeur explained. “In the long run, this might allow systems that use seawater as a safe, abundant electrolyte while also producing fresh water.” This innovation could have major implications for the battery-storage industry, where sodium-ion technology is rapidly emerging as a viable alternative to lithium-ion systems. Lithium-based batteries still dominate global markets, powering around 70 % of all rechargeable devices—from smartphones to electric vehicles to grid-scale storage. However, lithium’s supply chain challenges and environmental footprint are pushing researchers to explore other chemistries. Sodium, in contrast, is cheap, abundant, and widely distributed across the globe. It’s also significantly less water-intensive to extract—requiring 682 times less water per tonne than lithium. “Sodium is a much more sustainable source for batteries than lithium,” said James Quinn, CEO of UK-based battery innovator Faradion. “It’s cheaper, easier to source, and more environmentally responsible.” While sodium-ion technology is not expected to replace lithium-ion batteries entirely, many experts believe the future of energy storage will rely on a combination of both. By leveraging the strengths of each—lithium for high-density applications and sodium for cost-effective, sustainable storage—the sector can build a more flexible and resilient global energy infrastructure. The University of Surrey’s discovery adds even more momentum to that vision, offering a glimpse of a future where batteries don’t just power our devices and vehicles—they may also help solve one of the world’s most pressing resource challenges: access to fresh water. ReferenceBy Haley Zaremba – Oct 25, 2025, 12:00 PM CDT, “New Sodium-Ion Battery Breakthrough Doubles Charge and Desalinates Water”, OilPrice.com.
