Argonne National Laboratory Hosted Sodium Battery Summit

Over 70 organizations met to discuss scaling sodium-ion battery production and domestic supply chain strategies.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Energy

Isometric editorial illustration featuring metallic battery components stacked beside raw mineral crystals in a clean, professional color palette. — More than 70 organizations gathered at Argonne National Laboratory to discuss scaling domestic sodium-ion battery manufacturing for supply chain security. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you believe domestic sodium-ion battery production will improve American energy storage independence?

Argonne National Laboratory hosted the inaugural Sodium Battery Summit on September 22-23, 2026. The event brought together more than 70 organizations to explore sodium-ion battery manufacturing as a path toward greater domestic supply chain security.

Why it matters

Sodium-ion technology offers safety, cost, and security advantages over lithium alternatives because sodium is abundant. Establishing a domestic supply chain reduces reliance on foreign manufacturing, which currently sees China controlling 80% of global battery cell production.

Global sodium-ion battery shipments totaled 9 gigawatt-hours in 2025 against announced capacity of 370 gigawatt-hours. The LENS Consortium, comprised of 6 national labs and 8 universities, is spearheading research to improve battery stability.

The players

Argonne National Laboratory

This facility is a multidisciplinary science and engineering research center operated by the UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy.

LENS Consortium

The Liquid Energy and Networked Storage Consortium is a collaborative research group including six national laboratories and eight universities focused on battery stability.

The details

Sodium-ion batteries can be integrated into existing lithium-ion manufacturing lines with minimal retooling. The United States is positioned to leverage significant soda ash reserves in California and Wyoming to support this transition.

In 2025, 9 gigawatt-hours of sodium-ion batteries were shipped globally.
The inaugural Sodium Battery Summit was held September 22-23, 2026.
Federal officials set a target cost for sodium batteries below $75 per kilowatt-hour by 2030.
Federal officials set a target cost for sodium batteries below $60 per kilowatt-hour by 2035.

Deeper Dive

The summit follows the research model set by the LENS Consortium to drive coordinated, cost-driven improvements in battery technology.

Achieving federal cost targets of under $75 per kilowatt-hour by 2030 could lead to cheaper electric vehicles and more affordable residential energy storage. Domestic production efforts may eventually translate into lower prices for battery-dependent consumer electronics.

The takeaway

Sodium-ion technology provides a promising path for the United States to secure a more independent and cost-effective energy supply chain. As manufacturing capacity grows, consumers should watch for these batteries to become a viable, cheaper alternative to traditional lithium-based options.