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The global sodium sulfur battery market is driving due to the inherent advantages of sodium sulfur batteries, increasing installations of intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar, primarily due to ongoing supportive government policies and initiatives that have led to an increased need for large-scale energy storage systems.

Drivers:

• Growing support from the governments through investments in advanced energy storage technologies.
• Increasing R&D projects on sodium batteries - Majorly in India, Indonesia, China, and Japan.
• Rising number of global renewable energy storage projects - Majorly in China and America.
• Social and environmental pressures by the various stakeholders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Economies are rapidly moving towards electricity to reduce co2 emissions.
• Rising demand for battery energy storage systems in grid solutions, microgrids, and consumers.
• There is a growing demand for electric charging stations with electric vehicles. 
• Increasing lithium metal prices are increasing the demand for alternative energy storage systems. 

A Sodium Sulfur (NaS) battery is an energy storage system (ESS) based on electrochemical charge/discharge reactions that occur between a positive electrode (cathode) that is usually made of molten sulfur (S) and a negative electrode (anode) that is generally made of molten sodium (Na). The electrodes are separated by a sodium beta alumina, a solid ceramic serving as the electrolyte. This ceramic allows only positively charged sodium ions to pass through. The battery temperature is kept between 300° C and 350° C to keep the electrodes in a molten state, making independent heaters integral to the battery system.

Advantages of Sodium Sulfur Batteries: 

• Low-cost materials: Sodium Salt is one of the most abundant elements on Earth and therefore priced accordingly; system costs are lower than Li-ion.
• Depth of discharge: Sodium Sulfur Batteries can completely discharge without degradation to the cell.
• Energy Density: Sodium Sulfur batteries provide a high energy density of 110 Wh/kg and a power density of 150 W/kg

Disadvantages of Sodium Sulfur Batteries:

• Safety: The sodium sulfur battery operates at very high temperatures so developers may be concerned about safety. As a result, the technology may be less suitable for behind-the-meter (BTM) applications.
• Production capacity: Currently, NGK is the only recognized company producing sodium sulfur batteries in commercial volumes.

Sodium Sulfur Battery Energy Storage Systems and its Applications:

The Sodium Sulfur battery is a megawatt-level energy storage system that uses sodium and sulfur. The NAS battery has superior features such as high energy density, long service life, and large capacity, thus enabling a high output of electric power.

 NAS battery system can charge when power demand is low and provide power to reduce peak power. Moreover, the NAS battery system can be used as an emergency power supply during power outages and momentary voltage drops. NAS batteries are increasingly being utilized to stabilize output from wind and solar power generators while proving beneficial to the spread of renewable energies and the establishment of the smart grid. 

These batteries can be incorporated in small-scale localized power supply networks, microgrids that feature reduced energy environmental impact and costs, demand response programs that effectively use stored electric power, and other new energy solutions spreading worldwide to contribute to their widespread use and development.

The main three markets of sodium sulfur batteries are:

• In front of the meter (FTM) applications 
• Behind the meter (BTM) applications 
• Off-grid or remote applications 

Flex ramping, Renewable shifting, transmission, and distribution deferral (T&D) are typical FTM applications for sodium sulfur batteries.

Sodium sulfur batteries are primarily used in large industrial and commercial applications as backup power, peak shaving, and self-consumption due to their scalability, stability, and high storage capacity are typical BTM applications for sodium sulfur batteries.

Off-grid or remote applications include - using sodium sulfur batteries as backup power in data centers, telecommunications, and increasing self-consumption from distributed renewable generation in military areas, islands, and remote areas with or without a negligible minor connection to the primary grid.

Sodium Sulfur Battery Market Opportunities:

• Markets with great potential - USA, China, India, Japan, Sweden, and others
• The rapid growth of telecommunication, data centers, and telecommunication towers.
• Penetration of sodium sulfur batteries in residential applications.

 Sodium Sulfur Battery Market Restraints:

• High competition from conventional batteries
• Lack of commercialization of sodium sulfur batteries

Recent Developments:

• In January 2020, NGK Insulators and BASF SE signed a joint development agreement (JDA) to produce the next generation NAS batteries. The two companies will draw on their mutual technical knowledge, chemistry expertise, and battery design and manufacturing to develop the product.

Sodium Sulfur Battery Market Regional Analysis:

Sodium Sulfur Battery Capacity addition based on Applications

Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the largest market for sodium sulfur batteries during the forecast period. With a target to reduce emissions, sodium sulfur battery demand will rise in the power generation sector, especially in India, China, and other Southeast Asia such as Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

The Global sodium sulfur battery market comprises sales of sodium sulfur batteries used for power generation, transmission and distribution, residential and commercial projects, and industrial applications.

Blackridge Research's Global Sodium Sulfur Battery Market report provides insights into the current global and regional market demand scenario and its outlook.

The study presents a detailed analysis of various factors that affect sodium sulfur battery market revenue. The study also comprehensively analyses the flow battery market by segmenting it based on geography (North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, South America).

The report also addresses present and future companies' market share, market size, market opportunities, market trends, developments, and the impact of geopolitics on the flow battery market, critical commercial developments, trends, regions, and segments poised for the fastest-growing, competitive landscape.