Inlyte Energy, a leading developer of iron-sodium battery energy storage systems, has successfully completed the factory acceptance test of its first field-ready battery at its Derby, UK facility. The milestone test witnessed by representatives from Southern Company, one of the largest energy providers in the United States validated the performance and integration readiness of Inlyte’s complete battery system. This system integrates advanced sodium metal chloride cells with inverter and control electronics, marking a significant step toward full-scale commercialization.
Global demand for energy storage continues to surge, with the market expected to grow from $70 billion in 2025 to more than $150 billion by 2030. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, meeting future grid requirements will require over 225 gigawatts of long-duration energy storage (LDES) by 2050, levels that current lithium-ion technology cannot cost-effectively achieve. For utilities and their customers, LDES is key to enhancing grid reliability, strengthening resilience during extreme weather events, and lowering long-term costs. Breakthrough technologies like Inlyte’s iron-sodium batteries are essential to bridging this gap. The tested system includes the world’s largest sodium metal chloride battery cells and modules ever built, each capable of storing more than 300 kilowatt-hours of energy.
“To win the future we need abundant and secure supplies of energy in the U.S., and at the same time we need to make costs go down, not up,” said Antonio Baclig, CEO of Inlyte Energy. “We can’t do that by building the same thing as China. We need to make better technologies, with batteries that are fundamentally lower cost, safer, and longer lasting. By leveraging a breakthrough in the use of iron in the proven sodium metal chloride battery, Inlyte can scale rapidly.”
During the factory test, Inlyte’s battery achieved 83% round-trip efficiency, including auxiliaries, which is competitive with high-performance lithium-ion and well above the 40 to 70% range typical for other LDES technologies. Southern Company’s research and development team witnessed the test firsthand, observing the system’s performance and integration, a key milestone in project acceptance. Following the successful test, Inlyte’s first energy storage systems will be installed at Southern Company’s Energy Storage Test Site in Wilsonville, Alabama in early 2026.
“Energy storage is essential for creating a reliable and flexible energy grid,” said Steve Baxley, Southern Company energy storage and use research and development manager. “As the grid evolves toward longer-duration storage, developing solutions that are both low-cost and safe is critical to ensuring affordable, dependable service for customers. Inlyte’s successful system test represents a meaningful step in validating the iron-sodium battery technology for future applications. We look forward to continuing our research collaboration with Inlyte as this technology moves close to real-world deployment.”
With technical readiness proven and customer demonstrations in motion, Inlyte is now advancing toward U.S. manufacturing and commercialization. The company is finalizing site selection for its first domestic production facility in 2026. To accelerate this move, Inlyte recently announced a strategic partnership with HORIEN Salt Battery Solutions, the world’s largest and most experienced producer of sodium metal chloride batteries, with more than 25 years of commercial deployment across a range of applications, including critical power, remote industry, and battery energy storage. Together, the companies will leverage HORIEN’s proven manufacturing expertise and Inlyte’s system integration capabilities to bring domestically produced sodium battery systems to market, with commercial deliveries planned for 2027.
