A recent breakthrough from researchers at the University of Surrey has captured global attention and for good reason. Scientists have demonstrated a major performance improvement in sodium-ion batteries… simply by leaving water inside a key battery material.
It’s a small change with enormous implications for energy storage, sustainability, and even global water supply.
The Simple Discovery That Changed Everything
For years, researchers working with sodium-ion batteries typically removed water from certain battery materials, assuming it caused instability.
But the Surrey research team challenged that long-standing assumption and discovered the opposite.
By retaining the natural water content inside a material called nanostructured sodium vanadate hydrate (NVOH), they found:
- Significantly higher energy storage capacity
- Faster charging performance
- Stable operation across more than 400 charge cycles
- Nearly double the charge capacity of typical sodium-ion materials
In other words, a material scientists thought needed “fixing” turned out to perform dramatically better exactly as it was. (read more here: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/sodium-ion-battery-breakthrough-could-power-greener-energy-and-even-make-seawater-drinkable)
Batteries That Can Desalinate Seawater
The most surprising part of the discovery wasn’t just performance it was functionality.
When tested in salt water, the battery material didn’t just keep working it actively removed salt from the water.
The system extracted sodium ions while a paired electrode removed chloride ion, a process known as electrochemical desalination. (read more here https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260218031603.htm)
That means future battery systems could potentially:
- Store renewable energy
- Use seawater as part of the battery system
- Produce fresh drinking water as a by-product
Researchers believe this could lead to systems where seawater acts as a safe and abundant electrolyte, while simultaneously generating fresh water.
Energy storage and water purification in the same technology.
Why Sodium Matters More Than Ever
Lithium-ion batteries dominate today’s energy storage market but they come with challenges:
- Resource constraints
- Environmental impact from mining
- Supply chain dependence
- Cost volatility
Sodium, by contrast, is:
- Abundant and widely available
- Lower cost
- Easier to source globally
- More sustainable for large-scale deployment
This is why sodium-ion technology is gaining momentum as a long-term solution for renewable energy storage, grid infrastructure, and electrification.
The Surrey research suggests that performance gaps between lithium and sodium systems may close faster than many expected, and quickly.
What This Means for the Future of Energy Storage
The implications of this research go far beyond laboratory performance numbers. If commercialised at scale, improved sodium-ion technology could enable:
- Lower-cost grid storage for renewable energy
- More sustainable battery manufacturing
- Reduced dependence on critical minerals
- Energy infrastructure in water-scarce regions
- Integrated power + desalination systems
It also simplifies battery manufacturing by reducing the need for complex heat-treatment steps, potentially lowering cost and environmental impact.
Why This Matters to Beyond Batteries
At Beyond Batteries, we’ve long believed sodium-based energy storage is one of the most important technologies shaping the future of power systems, research like this reinforces what the industry is already seeing: Sodium-ion is no longer an experimental alternative it’s becoming a serious, scalable solution.
As performance improves and manufacturing becomes more efficient, sodium-based batteries are positioned to play a major role in:
- Off-grid power systems
- Renewable integration
- Cold-climate energy storage
- Sustainable infrastructure
- Large-scale energy resilience
The technology is evolving rapidly and breakthroughs like this show just how much potential is still being unlocked.
A Future Where Batteries Do More Than Store Energy
The idea that a battery could help solve both the energy crisis and the global water crisis once sounded like science fiction - but this is something I hypothesised quite some time ago, and now it’s being demonstrated in real laboratories, highlighting something important:
The next generation of energy storage won’t just be more powerful it will be more versatile, more sustainable, and more integrated into the systems that support modern life.