- A pilot backed by ITES (Innovating for Transport and Energy Systems) with UK innovator LiNa Energy and Indian industry partners Tata Power has successfully demonstrated novel sodium battery storage technology – a safer, low-cost alternative to lithium-ion systems.
- Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband has met with ITES and LiNa Energy in Delhi at India Energy Week 2025, as the team marks its successful UK-India collaboration to develop clean energy solutions.
- Trials of the solid-state Sodium Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the Smart Grid Lab in Delhi have highlighted its potential to halve battery system costs, and unlock cost-effective, long-duration green energy storage.
- LiNa Energy has attracted over £6 million in fresh private investment in conjunction with the pilot, supporting a new manufacturing facility in the UK and a skilled workforce of over 30 employees.
ITES (Innovating for Transport and Energy Systems) is marking a milestone in UK-India innovation partnership at India Energy Week 2025, following the successful demonstration of ground-breaking sodium battery storage technology.
The ITES-funded pilot with UK innovator LiNa Energy and Tata Power, one of India’s leading power utilities, has demonstrated the potential of solid-state sodium battery technology as a cost-effective alternative to conventional chemistries for long-duration energy storage. Building on earlier trials in Mumbai, the pilot culminated in the successful delivery of a 10kWh Sodium BESS at Tata Power’s Smart Grid Lab in Delhi. Trials have highlighted the potential of the technology to halve costs at both cell and system level.
Meeting with Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero at India Energy Week 2025 this week, the team showcased LiNa Energy’s next generation Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which offers a safer, cheaper, sustainable alternative to lithium-ion battery systems.
In conjunction with the project, LiNa Energy has attracted over £6 million in fresh private investment. This funding is enabling the company to construct a megawatt-scale pilot manufacturing facility at its headquarters in Lancaster, UK, and to expand its high-skilled workforce to over 30 employees.
The achievement marks a significant step in UK-India efforts to accelerate the commercialisation of homegrown clean energy technologies in priority sectors. LiNa’s novel heat-stable system offers a promising solution to the requirement for long-duration energy storage that ensures renewables such as solar, meet peak demand. The collaboration is supporting LiNa’s technology development and application as a grid stability solution.
The UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) team in India has offered LiNa in-market support through stakeholder engagements aimed at furthering conversations. As an important innovation helping develop a safer and cleaner battery technology, DBT India’s support to LiNa helped to further its growth journey in the country.
His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia and Deputy High Commissioner for Western India, Harjinder Kang, said:
“The joint work between LiNa Energy and Tata Power is a great example of collaboration between the UK’s cleantech innovation and Tata’s industrial and manufacturing expertise. The partnership, driven by innovation, will help deliver safer and cleaner battery technology. I congratulate LiNa and Tata on this collaboration. My team and I will continue to offer our support to further opportunities for UK-India partnership in this critically important clean energy space.”
Andrew Stokes, UK Lead for ITES, said:
“This is a testament to the real-world impact of ITES and UK-India collaboration – unlocking mutual growth and boosting innovation, jobs and investment. By providing critical support and industry introductions between high-potential innovators like LiNa and global changemakers like Tata Power, ITES is helping the UK and India capture high-value opportunities in the international supply chain. We look forward to facilitating more bilateral industrial partnerships that drive future clean energy solutions.”
Dr Nilesh Kane, Chief – Distribution (Mumbai Operations), Tata Power, said:
“ITES’ support in funding LiNa Energy’s pilot is of great significance in advancing ground-breaking battery storage technology, and Tata Power is proud to have contributed significantly to its success. This project is a stellar example of how UK and India can integrate innovation and industrial expertise, to shape the future of energy storage. We are excited to be a part of the journey towards advancing scalable, next-generation clean energy solutions that align with India’s Net Zero ambitions.”
Will Tope, CEO of LiNa Energy, added:
“This has been a fantastic opportunity for us to work and collaborate with Tata Power, one of the biggest players in India’s rapid electrification. With the support of ITES, we have gained critical insights into how our system performs in an operational energy environment. This marks a critical milestone in LiNa’s commercialisation journey, demonstrating the real-world potential our innovation can have.”
Key technical insights from the pilot:
LiNa’s innovative ceramic intellectual property unlocks next-generation levels of performance from sodium batteries made from salt. The use of abundant raw materials, coupled with inherent safety, enables LiNa to simplify the design of its energy storage systems, offering significant cost savings and improved performance compared to lithium-ion systems.
- Novel project: Containing 1,440 of LiNa’s first-generation solid-state sodium cells, with a cell energy density of 130 Wh/kg, the system successfully demonstrated its core ability to perform daily solar load-shifting and additional services like fast frequency response.
- Designed for grid-scale storage: The battery system integrates LiNa’s solid-state sodium cells into a full AC energy storage system, including a battery management system (BMS), thermal management system, and remotely-operable energy management software.
- Operational learnings: As an early-stage prototype, the battery system was manually assembled from LiNa’s lab facilities in the UK. The hands-on approach provided critical operational learnings. These insights were essential for refining the manufacturing process, ensuring future scalability and efficiency, and directly influenced the design of LiNa’s automated pilot manufacturing facility, currently under construction
- Future development: The pilot has demonstrated LiNa’s ability to reduce battery system costs by over 50% at both the cell and system levels. Tata Power’s collaboration is helping to pave the way for manufacturing partnerships to support the commercialisation of LiNa Energy’s technology at scale.
ITES continues to connect UK SMEs with India’s energy leaders, leverage bilateral research, industry expertise, and market demand to scale high-impact, clean technology solutions across both nations.
For more information on how to get involved, contact info@ites.org.
ENDS
About ITES – Innovating for Transport and Energy Systems
ITES is the UK-India clean transport and energy accelerator. Part of the landmark India-UK science, technology, and innovation partnership, ITES supports the UK and India to address clean energy and transport transition challenges and catalyse green growth. It does this through bilateral projects, pilots and partnerships designed to fast-track the translation of transformative clean energy and transport technologies – and their green growth benefits – into both UK and Indian markets.
Funded by Innovate UK and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, ITES is led by Energy Systems Catapult in the UK and the Indian Institute of Science. ITES is a key pillar of the UK-India Net Zero Innovation Virtual Centre – the home of bilateral Net Zero innovation across green hydrogen, manufacturing, and transport and energy systems. Learn more at www.ites.org.uk
About Tata Power
Tata Power is one of India’s largest integrated power companies, with a strong presence in power generation, transmission and distribution along with renewable energy & storage solutions. The company is at the forefront of India’s clean energy transition, driving investments in solar, wind, and next-generation energy storage. Learn more at www.tatapower.com
About LiNa Energy
LiNa Energy, established in 2017 as a spin-out from Lancaster University, is pioneering the development and commercialisation of low-cost, solid-state sodium batteries – a safer and more sustainable alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries. Their technology focuses on the renewable energy storage market, aiming to accelerate the transition to Net Zero by providing efficient and scalable energy storage solutions. Committed to sustainability, LiNa’s batteries are free from cobalt and lithium, utilising abundant raw materials to ensure transparent and ethical supply chains. Learn more at www.lina.energy
About DBT India
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the UK Government’s department for economic growth. DBT India helps UK companies succeed in India, and Indian companies set up and invest in the UK, through trade and investment services and practical support. DBT India offers expertise and contacts through their extensive network of specialists in the UK, and staff in the British High Commission in New Delhi and deputy High Commissions in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. More info here.
