en.Wedoany.com Reported - Oregon-based energy storage provider ESS Tech has launched the new Bridge Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), consisting of modular 1.2 MWh sodium-ion battery units designed to provide power for data centers, critical infrastructure operators, and other commercial customers.

The new system marks ESS's first adoption of sodium-ion battery technology. Previously, the company only offered iron flow batteries using iron, salt, and water liquid electrolytes, primarily for long-duration energy storage (LDES) applications ranging from 8 to 22 hours. The new Bridge product utilizes sodium-ion battery cells from Alsym Energy, delivering high-density power for medium to short-duration needs. ESS stated that the Bridge BESS can achieve various charge and discharge profiles from 1 to 16 hours or longer, depending on the configuration.

ESS noted that adding sodium-ion chemistry to its product line was driven by market demand for applications different from its LDES iron flow products. Since first announcing the partnership with Alsym in April, demand for sodium-ion technology has approached $1 billion. ESS CEO Drew Buckley stated in a press release that the Bridge is precisely the way to meet existing demand, as AI workloads are reshaping data center energy storage requirements, and sodium-ion meets these power needs more effectively than traditional technologies.

ESS describes the Bridge module as a "plug-and-play" unit, with all system hardware components integrated into a 10-foot container. These units are stackable and provide 4.8 MWh of storage capacity within the same footprint as a traditional 20-foot battery container. In addition to hardware, ESS offers complete system integration and energy management software. The company claims the system can operate in temperatures ranging from -40°C to 50°C (-40°F to 122°F), uses air cooling instead of liquid cooling or HVAC systems, and is designed to eliminate fire risks from thermal runaway. ESS also stated that the technology relies on alternative supply chains, reducing critical mineral constraints and geopolitical procurement risks. Overall, sodium-ion batteries have a much lower thermal runaway incidence than traditional lithium-ion batteries.

Recently, a Chinese research team developed a new sodium-ion battery chemistry that uses phase-change materials to polymerize the battery electrolyte when exposed to high temperatures, effectively forming a "self-protecting" battery that can immediately stop the chain reaction that could lead to thermal runaway.