Aluminium Exhibition | Aluminium-based Lead-Carbon Batteries: A "Dark Horse" Disrupting the Energy Storage Landscape?

In the field of energy storage, aluminium-based lead-carbon batteries are emerging as a promising new technology. According to the Aluminium Exhibition, this technology is an evolution of traditional lead-acid batteries, combining the advantages of both lead-acid batteries and supercapacitors. These batteries offer high specific energy, excellent charge-discharge performance, and a long service life.

Technical Features

1. High Safety
   Aluminium-based lead-carbon batteries primarily use a dilute sulfuric acid solution as the electrolyte. This design prevents thermal runaway, self-ignition, and explosions, offering a higher safety level compared to lithium-ion batteries. This characteristic makes them highly suitable for applications where safety is a top priority.
2. Long-duration Energy Storage Capability
   By incorporating capacitive activated carbon into the negative electrode material, aluminium-based lead-carbon batteries optimize both energy and power density, giving them exceptional long-duration energy storage capabilities. The batteries developed by KunGong Technology can store energy for over 120 hours, fulfilling the demands for extended energy storage.

1. Low Cost and High Reliability
   These batteries excel in areas such as cycle life, cost-effectiveness, low-temperature performance, and production/recycling technologies. Their low cost and high reliability meet national standards for affordable, reliable, and long-lasting energy storage technologies.
2. Environmental Friendliness and Sustainability
   Aluminium-based lead-carbon batteries have a residual value recovery rate of up to 50%. Both the positive and negative electrode materials and the electrolyte are recyclable, which results in a lower environmental impact throughout the battery's lifecycle.

Market Outlook

1. Domestic Market
   KunGong Technology has made remarkable strides in the aluminium-based lead-carbon battery field. Its first international production line for long-duration energy storage batteries, located in Qujing, Yunnan, has an annual production capacity of 5GWh. Moreover, the first phase of its 10GWh production line in Lingwu, Ningxia, is nearing completion.
2. International Market
   KunGong Technology’s aluminium-based lead-carbon battery energy storage systems and inverter control units have been successfully exported to Uzbekistan. The company has also developed deep partnerships with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, such as Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, demonstrating the international recognition and growing market presence of these batteries.
3. Policy Support
   China’s "14th Five-Year Plan for New Energy Storage Development" highlights lead-carbon batteries as one of the core technologies to be developed and applied. Both the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA) have emphasized enhancing the innovation capabilities of new energy storage technologies, supporting advancements in technologies such as lead-carbon batteries.
4. Application Scenarios
   Aluminium-based lead-carbon batteries show great potential across various energy storage applications, including:

• Industrial and Commercial Energy Storage: They are particularly suited for use in underground spaces, densely populated areas, and high-safety-demand environments like data centers.
• Distributed Photovoltaic Projects: In KunGong Technology’s first “solar-storage integration” project in Yunnan, a 6.2MW solar installation was paired with a 0.5MW/2MWh aluminium-based lead-carbon electrochemical storage system, underscoring the company’s commitment to advancing safe, green energy solutions.
• Large-scale Energy Storage Clusters: Lead-carbon energy storage stations with a single installation capacity exceeding 100MW are increasingly common, with high capacity and long-duration storage being key features of such projects.

As aluminium-based lead-carbon battery technology matures, its applications in energy storage are expected to expand. By 2025, global demand for new energy storage is projected to reach 163GW/511GWh, and the energy storage market is estimated to exceed 600 billion RMB. With strategic investments and developments by companies like KunGong Technology in the lead-carbon battery sector, energy storage could become a major growth driver for future business performance.