The Chemistry That Changes
Everything About Energy Storage.
Sodium-ion NFPP — safer chemistry with less explosive properties. Coulomb Technology's Core BESS platform is built on a fundamentally safer, longer-lasting, and more cost-effective cell chemistry than anything lithium-ion can offer.
What Is a Battery Energy Storage System?
A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is a rechargeable battery platform that stores electrical energy and releases it on demand — allowing facilities, fleets, and infrastructure operators to control when and how they consume power from the grid, a generator, or a renewable source.
Store Energy. Use It When You Need It.
A BESS charges during off-peak hours or from solar/wind generation, then discharges during peak demand — reducing utility bills, providing backup power, and smoothing out grid instability.
The Battery Is Only Part of the System.
A complete BESS includes battery cells, a Battery Management System (BMS), power conversion electronics, and software. The chemistry of the cells determines safety, lifespan, and total cost — which is why cell selection matters more than most buyers realize.
Not All BESS Are Built the Same.
Most commercial BESS products use lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry — which is flammable, requires active thermal management, and degrades over time. Coulomb Technology's Core BESS uses sodium-ion NFPP chemistry, which eliminates these liabilities at the molecular level.
Three Reasons Sodium-Ion NFPP
Outperforms Lithium-Ion.
Lithium-ion dominates the market — but it carries three fundamental liabilities that make it the wrong choice for industrial, defense, and mission-critical applications. Coulomb Technology's sodium-ion NFPP chemistry was engineered to eliminate all three, without compromise on performance.
Safer Chemistry.
Less Explosive Properties.
NFPP (sodium iron pyrophosphate) provides safer chemistry with less explosive properties and no fires seen to date during thermal runaway tests.
- Zero thermal runaway incidents seen to date
- No fires seen to date and no cell to cell propagation seen to date
- Safe for enclosed industrial environments where lithium-ion is prohibited or restricted
- Next generation chemistries in progress with no thermal runaway design
8,000 Cycles.
20-Year Life.
Sodium-ion NFPP delivers verified 8,000+ deep cycles at 80% depth of discharge — outperforming standard LFP by 100% and projecting a 20-year operational life in real-world duty cycles.
- 8,000+ cycles at 80% DOD — vs. 4,000 cycles for standard LFP chemistry
- Stable capacity retention across full temperature range: −30°C to +60°C
- No capacity fade from deep discharge — no minimum state-of-charge requirement
- Zero maintenance: no watering, no equalization, no acid management
14% Lower TCO.
No Hidden Costs.
Higher initial CapEx is more than offset by eliminating HVAC, augmentation, fire suppression, and maintenance costs over a 15-year lifecycle — delivering a 14% lower total cost of ownership per kWh.
- No HVAC required — air-cooled design eliminates $28/kWh in lifecycle HVAC costs
- No augmentation — stable capacity means no mid-life battery replacement
- Sodium is 1,000× more abundant than lithium — no supply chain risk or price volatility
- Made in America pathway — meets DOD and federal procurement requirements
How NFPP Chemistry Works.
Sodium iron pyrophosphate (NFPP) is a cathode material in the sodium-ion family. Unlike lithium-ion chemistries — which store energy by intercalating lithium ions into flammable organic electrolytes — NFPP uses sodium ions and a stable inorganic structure that cannot sustain combustion.
Built for Duty Cycles That
Destroy Lithium-Ion.
Industrial and defense applications demand batteries that perform at the extremes — deep daily cycling, wide temperature ranges, and decades of continuous operation. NFPP chemistry is engineered for exactly these conditions.
8,000 Cycles at 80% DoD.
Most lithium-ion LFP batteries are rated for 3,500–4,000 cycles at 80% depth of discharge. NFPP delivers 8,000+ cycles under the same conditions — a 100% improvement that translates directly into a longer asset life and lower replacement costs.
Operates Where Lithium-Ion Fails.
Lithium-ion batteries lose 20–40% capacity at −20°C and require active thermal management above 45°C. NFPP chemistry maintains stable performance from −30°C to +60°C — with no HVAC required and no capacity penalty at temperature extremes.
NFPP Sodium-Ion vs. Lithium-Ion.
A direct comparison across the criteria that matter most in industrial, defense, and mission-critical deployments.
| Coulomb Technology NFPP | Liquid-Cooled LFP | |
|---|---|---|
| Thermal Runaway Risk | Safer chemistry — no fires seen to date during thermal runaway tests | Present — requires thermal management |
| Cycle Life (80% DoD) | 8,000+ cycles | 3,500–4,000 cycles |
| Projected Battery Life | 20 years | 10–12 years |
| HVAC Requirement | None — air-cooled | Required — adds $28/kWh lifecycle cost |
| Maintenance | Zero — fully maintenance-free | Periodic inspection & thermal system service |
| Augmentation Required | No — stable capacity over life | Yes — mid-life augmentation typical |
| Temperature Range | −30°C to +60°C | 0°C to +45°C (with HVAC) |
| Supply Chain Risk | Low — sodium is 1,000× more abundant | High — lithium, cobalt geopolitical exposure |
| 15-Year TCO / kWh | $126/kWh | $146/kWh |
| Fire Suppression Required | No | Yes — AHJ requirement in most jurisdictions |
14% Lower Total Cost of Ownership.
Higher initial CapEx is offset by eliminating HVAC, augmentation, fire suppression, and maintenance costs. Over 15 years, NFPP delivers a 14% lower total cost of ownership per kWh — despite costing more upfront.
Built for the Applications
That Demand the Most.
NFPP sodium-ion chemistry was designed for environments where lithium-ion's flammability, maintenance requirements, and supply chain risk are unacceptable.
Commercial & Industrial
Peak shaving, demand charge reduction, and backup power for commercial facilities — without the fire suppression overhead that makes LFP expensive to permit and insure.
Defense & Government
Forward operating bases, critical infrastructure, and government facilities where safer chemistry, supply chain security, and Made in America compliance are non-negotiable.
Motive / Traction Batteries
Forklifts, AGVs, and material handling equipment in enclosed warehouses and cold storage facilities — where thermal runaway risk from lithium-ion is a liability no operator can accept.
Renewable Integration
Solar-plus-storage and wind integration projects where 20-year battery life aligns with the asset life of the renewable generation system — eliminating mid-life battery replacement costs.
Critical Infrastructure
Telecom towers, data centers, and utility substations requiring long-duration backup power with zero maintenance overhead and no thermal management infrastructure.
OEM & System Integration
Open-protocol BMS with Modbus TCP, CAN Bus, and RS-485 — integrates with any inverter, EMS, or SCADA stack. Designed for integrators and OEMs who need a battery block, not a closed ecosystem.
Talk to Our Applications Engineering Team.
Our team will walk you through the chemistry, model your 15-year TCO, and help you determine whether NFPP sodium-ion is the right fit for your application.