On October 29, Financial Associated Press (Reporter Zeng Chuchu) 'It can actually be mass-produced.' Faced with the news of the first full solid-state battery production line being put into operation, market insiders are amazed at the speed being faster than expected - according to a survey by the Financial Associated Press reporter and disclosures by various companies, the expected time for limited production of solid state batteries, acknowledged by experts, was 2027.

And as the latest information from the Financial Associated Press reporter reveals, the 'four major highlights' of this already operational all solid-state battery production line are that it is full solid-state, low cost, profitable without loss, and not installed on vehicles. The person in charge of the construction of the production line from Pure Lithium New Energy stated that the company is pursuing 'economically applicable full solid-state batteries', with the technical route using polymer electrolytes paired with iron phosphate cathodes and graphite anodes. Currently, customers are from energy storage and electric two-wheeled vehicles, without involving power batteries.

The first all solid-state battery production line does not involve power batteries

Recently, the heat around solid-state batteries has soared.

According to news from 'Beijing Yizhuang' on October 24, the first domestic production line for fully solid lithium batteries has officially started production. The production line, invested and built by Beijing Pure Lithium New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as 'Pure Lithium New Energy'), is able to produce 50 ampere-hour solid state batteries.

The time for full-scale production of solid-state lithium batteries has been advanced by a full two years compared to previous expectations from relevant companies and industry insiders.

Chairman of Contemporary Amperex Technology, Zeng Yuqun, had earlier set the tone for solid-state batteries in September this year, stating that the industry is currently at a level of only around '4', meaning the experimental verification phase. Yu Huigen, Chairman of Warer Blue New Energy, expressed that it is entirely possible for small-scale verification of full solid-state batteries on whole vehicles by 2027. For details, see: Leading companies set the tone for solid-state batteries still in the laboratory stage, key production milestones in 2027, semi-solid or earlier application in high-security areas | Industry observation

The basic consensus in the industry is that the key to all-solid-state batteries lies in the research of materials and chemical systems, with the most difficult problem being the 'solid-solid interface'. In liquid batteries, lithium ions migrate in the electrolyte, while for all-solid-state batteries, due to the lack of fluidity in the solid electrolyte, the contact between the solid-solid interface is poorer compared to the solid-liquid interface. Currently, the industry mostly solves the interface problem through compression methods.

In response, a reporter from Cailian News interviewed the person in charge of Pure Lithium New Energy, who revealed that their all-solid-state batteries do not require compression, the company has a technology solution that can better bond the electrolyte with the positive and negative electrode materials.

In fact, Pure Lithium New Energy's all-solid-state batteries are different from the commonly discussed all-solid-state batteries for automotive use in the industry.

The above-mentioned person in charge told Cailian News that Pure Lithium New Energy's chosen path is relatively balanced in terms of usability, mass production feasibility, and economic viability. Customers describe them as cost-effective all-solid-state batteries.

Firstly, in terms of material systems, the industry tends to choose higher specific energy positive and negative electrode materials for all-solid-state batteries, such as high-nickel ternary cathodes and metallic lithium anodes. However, Pure Lithium New Energy does not pair with higher specific energy positive and negative electrode systems. The relevant person mentioned that there are three technological routes for all-solid-state batteries, and the company currently chooses the polymer electrolyte route, using lithium iron phosphate as the cathode material and graphite as the anode material.

Regarding the energy density and cycle performance of the company's all-solid-state batteries, the relevant person mentioned that it is inconvenient to disclose, but the energy density is mainly determined by the positive and negative electrode materials, which can be referenced from lithium battery material systems.

Furthermore, the relevant person mentioned that the company's all-solid-state batteries have no electrolyte at all, greatly improving the safety of the cells, achieving intrinsic safety; the material characteristics are stable, with a cycle life no less than liquid lithium iron phosphate batteries. However, the rate performance does not reach particularly superior levels and cannot meet automotive requirements.

It is understood that the energy density of lithium iron phosphate batteries is generally between 120-180Wh/kg. Previously, many battery companies have announced energy densities for solid-state batteries above 280Wh/kg, and in September, the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Processes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, disclosed that based on high specific energy lithium sulfide cathodes, the high-cycle all-solid-state lithium-sulfur battery has an energy density exceeding 600Wh/kg.

Currently, the main downstream customers of pure lithium new energy are in the energy storage and two-wheeled electric vehicle sectors. The relevant person in charge stated: "The demand from power battery customers is completely different, they have a very strong demand for solving safety issues."

Tianyancha shows that Pure Lithium New Energy was established in 2022 and has successively disclosed 24 projects related to solid-state battery patents, with 11 projects currently under review. It is reported that Pure Lithium New Energy's mass production line in Beijing has a target capacity of 200MWh. In addition, Caixin learned from the Jiangxi Public Resource Trading Platform that Pure Lithium New Energy has planned to expand production, and the public bidding for the 6GWh solid-state energy storage battery design project has been completed.

The oxide and sulfide routes are the mainstream direction.

In terms of the solid electrolyte core of all-solid-state batteries, the technical routes mainly focus on oxides, sulfides, polymers, etc., with different routes, different materials, and significantly different matching processes.

From the disclosures of various companies, the oxide and sulfide routes are the choices of more companies. Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology (688005.SH) has completed the development of various solid-state electrolyte materials such as sulfides and oxides; Guangzhou Great Power Energy and Technology (300438.SZ) recently released solid-state batteries have chosen the oxide route, Beijing Easpring Material Technology (300073.SZ) has systematically laid out key technical routes for oxides, sulfides, and dual-phase composite high-energy solid-state cathode materials.

Shenzhen Senior Technology Material (300568.SZ) recently stated in an institutional survey that in the field of solid-state batteries, the company's R&D team has developed oxide and polymer solid electrolyte membranes that are ready for mass production, showing excellent performance in customer semi-solid battery evaluations. The products have entered certification or testing phases with multiple well-known customers and are being supplied in small quantities.

The all-solid-state battery developed by the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Process of the Chinese Academy of Sciences also follows the sulfide electrolyte route.

The aforementioned relevant person of Pure Lithium New Energy told Caixin journalists: "There are more technical routes for all-solid-state batteries in the industry aimed at power batteries, and more hope to solve the weaknesses of liquid lithium batteries, such as high energy density, fast charging and discharging, choosing a better material system and technical solution. Currently, many in the industry choose the sulfide route because of the good rate performance of sulfides, solving rapid charging and discharging only when loaded on a vehicle."

Previously, a semi-solid state battery industry source told Caixin reporters that currently solid-state electrolyte materials are mainly based on the oxide route, while sulfides are the future mainstream direction.

A pure lithium company spokesperson said: The polymer material we chose is relatively flexible itself, the interface issue is not as serious as oxides, and the mass production difficulties of all-solid-state batteries have been resolved. Currently, the scale of mass production is small, and it has not yet reached a scale advantage at the supply chain level, but they stated "we are not selling at a loss." After obtaining the ability for large-scale procurement, the cost will not be higher than that of liquid lithium batteries.