LONDON — UK battery pioneer EQONIC Group has confirmed that its proprietary, lithium-free, sodium-free and rare-earth-free composite relies on aluminium as its core material, defining both the chemistry and cell architecture of the system.
The confirmation comes as EQONIC moves its aluminium battery technology out of laboratory development and into industrial validation, a critical milestone to test manufacturability, performance and reliability at commercial volumes.
Aluminium is widely available through established and responsibly managed supply chains, offering a contrast to materials such as lithium, sodium and rare earths, which remain exposed to cost volatility, geopolitical friction and export restrictions.
Key program insights
- Targeted cost reduction: The proprietary material composite aims for raw material costs equal to 30% of conventional lithium-metal cells, supporting a target manufactured cost of £50/kWh at scale.
- Inherent safety: The aluminium-based chemistry and architecture are non-flammable, designed to eliminate the thermal runaway risks seen in conventional systems.
- Industrial validation phase: Testing will focus on proving manufacturability, operational performance and long-term reliability at commercial volumes.
- Government support: The milestone follows EQONIC’s selection for the UK Government’s £452 million Battery Innovation Programme to develop a digital twin of its manufacturing process.
By utilizing abundant materials, EQONIC aims to deliver a low-cost, safe alternative to standard battery chemistries, targeting a manufactured cost of £50/kWh at scale — roughly half the current industry average.
“We’ve always said we’d reveal the chemistry once we were ready to move to the next stage, and that stage is now,” said Jas Kandola, Founder and CEO of EQONIC Group. “Aluminium-based chemistry gives us everything we set out to achieve – material abundancy, high-levels of safety and low cost – without the trade-offs that lithium, sodium and rare earth materials carry. Confirming the chemistry is one part of the story; progressing towards industrial validation is the part that matters most, and that’s exactly where our focus is now.”
Broader corporate context
The chemistry confirmation builds on several operational milestones achieved by EQONIC in 2026. The company strengthened its leadership team with Executive Director John Saunders, bringing legal and regulatory expertise from Barclays and UBS, and Non-Executive Director Angela Knight CBE. It also partnered with electrical contractor Barton Knight Group to establish a long-term framework to jointly supply, install and maintain renewable energy storage systems across the UK.
EQONIC was selected for the UK Government’s Battery Innovation Programme, delivered by Innovate UK and supported by the Department for Business and Trade, to accelerate digital twin modeling of its manufacturing process and support the company’s path toward industrial-scale deployment.
