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Sodium-ion Battery Packs Show Significantly Lower Carbon Footprint Than LFP
A recent Chinese life cycle assessment, utilizing factory data, indicates that sodium-ion battery pack production is significantly less carbon-intensive than LFP packs. The study found sodium-ion packs to be 24.9% cleaner in terms of CO2 equivalent emissions. This advantage is largely attributed to manufacturing processes and energy sources within Chinese facilities. Broader adoption of sodium-ion technology could prevent 147 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent by 2035.
A recent Chinese life cycle assessment (LCA), based on actual factory data, indicates that the production of sodium-ion battery packs is significantly less carbon-intensive than LFP packs. The study, conducted by Chinese researchers who collected inventory data from gigawatt-hour-scale battery manufacturers, found that producing a 1 kWh sodium-ion battery pack generates 56.8 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent. This figure is 24.9% lower than the 75.5 kg for a comparable LFP pack.
The researchers highlight that emissions for both battery chemistries are primarily concentrated in the electricity used during manufacturing, reflecting China's coal-heavy grid. They suggest that sodium-ion's carbon footprint can be further reduced through process optimization and the adoption of cleaner power sources. For LFP manufacturers, the focus should be on raw-material substitution and using less material.
Earlier studies, including those by Peters et al. (2016) and Guo et al. (2023), suggested a slightly higher footprint for sodium-ion compared to lithium-ion. However, these studies relied on lab-scale data and European databases. A 2025 European study by researchers at Fraunhofer and RWTH Aachen University, also based on primary factory data, reached an opposite result for sodium-ion *cells* (75-87 kg CO2 equivalent per kWh) versus LFP *cells* (59-70 kg CO2 equivalent per kWh). It is important to note that these figures are not directly comparable, as the Chinese study focused on complete battery packs, while the European one measured individual cells.
Both studies employ a 'cradle-to-gate' boundary, meaning they measure emissions up to the factory gate and do not account for cycle life or emissions per unit of lifetime energy delivered. The Chinese researchers also modeled a scenario where wider sodium-ion adoption could avoid 147 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent by 2035. They determined that the sodium-ion pack's total environmental impact is 27.3% lower than LFP's.
The findings were published in the scientific journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review, titled “Comparative life cycle assessment and carbon footprint of sodium-ion and Lithium Iron phosphate batteries”. This news report is based on information from ESS News.
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