Alsym Energy, a leading developer of non-flammable, low-cost sodium-ion battery technology, and Juniper Energy, a California-based renewable energy developer, today announced a strategic partnership to deploy 500MWH of high-performance Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) primarily across the state of California. The collaboration marks a significant shift away from fire-prone lithium-ion dependencies, prioritizing safety, domestic production, and operational efficiency in some of the United States’ most demanding climates.
As California continues to lead the nation’s energy transition, the need for safe, long-duration storage that can withstand extreme ambient thermal conditions is paramount. By integrating Alsym’s Na-Series technology, Juniper Energy will deploy storage assets that eliminate the fire risks associated with traditional chemistries while significantly reducing the levelized cost of storage (LCOS).
Technical Superiority in the Mojave Desert
A cornerstone of this partnership is the deployment of Alsym’s batteries in the Mojave Desert and other high-temperature regions. Unlike lithium-ion systems that require energy-intensive active cooling to prevent thermal runaway and consequential damages from fire and toxic gases, Alsym’s sodium-ion chemistry is designed to avoid thermal runaway and operates efficiently without active cooling. This “passive cooling” capability simplifies the Balance of Plant (BoP), lowers upfront capital expenditures, and greatly reduces ongoing Operations & Maintenance (O&M) costs. Furthermore, the high charge and discharge rates mean operators have the flexibility to do multiple cycles per day and use for revenue generation as well as load shifting. And the long cycle life ensures these benefits will be available without premature degradation or requiring augmentation.
Economic Advantages and Domestic Sourcing
The partnership is strategically designed to maximize the financial attractiveness of renewable projects. By utilizing Alsym’s domestically sourced and manufactured battery cells, Juniper Energy is positioned to maximize One Big Beautiful Bill tax credits and Department of Energy (DOE) incentives. This domestic supply chain provides Juniper with a “lithium-free” hedge against global supply chain volatility and environmental concerns related to rare-metal mining.
“After several years of evaluating the non-lithium landscape, it became clear that sodium-ion—and specifically Alsym’s Na-Series—is the premier solution for the next generation of California’s grid,” said Keith McDaniels, Founder and Managing Partner of Juniper Energy. “Alsym’s ability to provide a safe, US-produced battery allows us to maximize tax credits and improve project IRRs while providing our off-takers with a more flexible, reliable, and cost-effective storage asset.”
“Juniper Energy is a forward-thinking developer that recognizes the inherent limitations of lithium in warmer environments,” said Mukesh Chatter, CEO and Co-Founder of Alsym Energy. “Our Na-Series technology was built for exactly this: providing high-performance, fast-charging storage that doesn’t require complex cooling or risk community safety. By manufacturing here in the U.S., we are ensuring that partners like Juniper can deploy projects faster and more profitably.”
The Vision for a Lithium-Free Grid
The initial phase of the partnership focuses on multi-megawatt deployments in California, with a long-term vision to scale Alsym-powered assets across Juniper’s entire development pipeline. The 30-minute fast-charging capability of the Na-Series will enable Juniper to capitalize on a wide range of revenue-generating use cases, from daily solar shifting to frequency regulation, and potentially even multiple cycles per day, ensuring a resilient and sustainable California grid.
About Alsym Energy
Alsym Energy is enabling a safer, scalable energy future by rethinking battery chemistry. The company’s flagship Na-Series are non-flammable, high-performance, low cost sodium-ion batteries made with earth abundant materials. They are designed using a proprietary, physics-informed AI platform that enables the discovery of materials and commercially viable chemistries 10x faster than traditional, trial and error experiment-only methods. By combining DeepTech expertise in batteries with physics-informed AI, the platform is a closed-loop system that accelerates the entire battery development process, from ideation to manufacturing. Alysm’s Na-Series technology eliminates thermal runaway and allows energy storage to be deployed safely, and at scale, anywhere energy storage is needed — from data centers and industrial facilities to residential buildings, commercial real estate, mining, military installations or utility grids. Its wide operating temperature range avoids the need for HVAC systems for safety or performance, and fast charge and discharge rates allow multiple cycles per day, creating a powerful economic model for energy storage systems. Alsym Na-Series: A better battery for energy storage.
To learn more, visit: alsym.com
About Juniper Energy
Juniper Energy is a California-based renewable energy developer focused on building the next generation of sustainable infrastructure. With a mission to deploy safe, reliable, and domestically sourced energy assets, Juniper specializes in utility-scale projects that leverage cutting-edge non-lithium technologies to meet the evolving needs of the modern grid.
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