Tests at SaltX Technology's pilot nano-coated salt storage facility have confirmed the "stability and scalability" of the design, the Swedish developer announced September 19.

Since April 2019, SaltX has tested its new storage medium at a 10 MWh facility in Berlin, Germany, owned by utility partner Vattenfall.

The tests have confirmed "good material performance and a scalable energy storage concept," SaltX said in a statement.

More specifically, energy efficiency of electrical power to heat was recorded at 72% to 85%, compared to a theoretical maximum of 92%, the company said.

The plant achieved an energy density (chemical) of approximately 500 kWh/ton and an additional 100 kWh/ton "sensible energy" can also be stored in the material, it said.

"Based on the tests carried out in this first-of-its-kind pilot plant with regards to both the overall process and material analyses, the nano-coated salt material can be effectively used as an energy storage medium in a plant of appreciably large-scale," SaltX said.

"In addition, the pilot plant demonstrates that the process for charging (dehydration) and discharging (hydration) of thermochemical energy embodied in the nano-coated material works acceptably and repeatably," it said.

SaltX will now look to "optimize the process and confirm the commercial viability in pre-commercial plants,” Carl-Johan Liner, the group's CEO, said.

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