CATL, the Chinese largest lithium-ion battery manufacturer, breaks ground on a new lithium-ion battery laboratory – the 21C Lab, at its headquarters in Ningde, east China’s Fujian Province.
The 3.3 billion RMB ($466 million) investment is scheduled to be put into operation at the end of 2021 and will be focused to leverage R&D capabilities and work on new technologies, including:
- metal lithium batteries
- all-solid-state batteries
- sodium-ion batteries
Within five years, the 21C Lab is expected to employ “thousands of experts and talents”.
“The 21C Lab, which will be built on an 18-hectare large piece of land, will focus on the development of the next-generation electrochemical energy storage systems and new energy conversion systems. Beyond advanced R&D on metal lithium batteries, all-solid-state batteries and sodium-ion batteries, 21C Lab is also working on the commercial application of its technology, such as developing lithium-ion battery reliability models and non-destructive testing technology.”
Interestingly, Prof. Dr. John B. Goodenough, the 2019 Nobel laureate in chemistry for his work on developing lithium-ion batteries, sent his congratulations on the opening of the new laboratory:
“As an industry leader in lithium-ion battery technology, advances made by members of the 21C Lab can benefit society significantly. I believe that with the setup of the 21C Lab, CATL can introduce more inventions in battery technology that will allow the world to cut back on our dependence on fossil fuels,”
