Battery Council International has held the inaugural meeting of its new sodium battery industry group (SBIG).
BCI said the meeting in Nashville on May 4 marked a significant milestone in the advancement of sodium ion battery tech in North America.
The group is chaired by Shawn Peng, CEO of QuantumShield Technologies.
Formed in early 2026, the SBIG brings together industry leaders, manufacturers, technology developers, researchers, and stakeholders to foster innovation, commercialisation, and collaboration.
BCI said the inaugural meeting was part of a long-term plan to establish a collaborative framework for advancing sodium ion batteries across a broad range of applications, with particular focus on stationary energy storage systems.
The group will support the growth and commercial deployment of the technology, including the establishment of safety and testing frameworks and standardisation, as well as alignment of industry stakeholders across the value chain, development of a statistics programme and market development.
In common with other BCI-managed battery tech divisions, SBIG will serve as a focal point for the technology as part of a diverse ecosystem of energy storage solutions that include lead batteries, flow batteries, lithium batteries, and more.
While sodium-ion batteries are still in the early stages of commercialisation, the sector is rapidly advancing as manufacturers, the US energy department and national laboratories and energy providers seek scalable, affordable, and resilient energy storage solutions.
BCI said sodium ion battery technology in particular is recognised as a promising solution for future energy storage needs ― and because sodium is readily available, the technology has potential for a fully domestic supply chain.
Shawn Peng said the group’s formation reflected growing momentum behind sodium ion technology and its potential to strengthen North America’s energy storage ecosystem.
“This group will help accelerate commercialisation, establish safety and technical standards, and support the development of a reliable domestic supply chain.”
Roger Miksad, BCI president and executive director, said the organisation believed strongly in supporting battery innovation across all technologies and all applications to meet future energy needs.
“SBIG is a focused group of stakeholders who are experts in this particular energy storage solution, and we look forward to growth and innovation this group will support.”
Peng, a lead battery industry veteran, was appointed CEO of QuantumShield last February. He was previously QuantumShield’s president and CTO and succeeded Richard Han as CEO ― who continues as chairman of the board.
