Manufacturer makes big move in pursuit of game-changing energy-storage technology: 'Important and exciting'

California-based Lyten is expanding its manufacturing capacity by acquiring Europe's largest battery plant. 

The purchase of the former Northvolt site in Poland is being heralded by Lyten as an acceleration of its lithium-sulfur production efforts. The company has already made headlines for battery packs that are set to power drones, electric vehicles, and even tech on the International Space Station, per a news release. 

In the release, Lyten said the operations at the plant are "world class." Northvolt filed for bankruptcy in Sweden earlier this year, according to the company. The facility previously manufactured grid-level energy storage packs and was also used for research and development.

"We plan to immediately restart operations in Poland and deliver on existing and new customer orders," Lyten CEO Dan Cook said in the statement. He called the news a combination of Silicon Valley technology and Polish engineering. 

Lithium-sulfur batteries are billed as a better alternative to lithium-ion cells because they are cheaper to make and can hold more energy than common packs. Early versions were hampered by corrosion problems that limited recharge ability, according to Argonne National Laboratory. 

It's part of a swirl of global movement among battery makers. German pack producer RWE last year completed three new battery storage systems in the United States. U.S.-based Natron Energy is working on sodium-ion cells, another competing chemistry vying for market share. Meanwhile, a sodium-ion battery system that went online in China last year can power 12,000 homes. 

Lyten's 270,000-square-foot Poland plant is also supplied by renewable energy, and orders already extend into next year, per the release. 

"The message we are hearing clearly from European customers is that they want energy storage systems manufactured in Europe using locally sourced supply chains free of geopolitical risk," Lyten co-founder Lars Herlitz said. 

Grid-capable storage is reported by Lyten to be the fastest-growing battery market segment, in large part to help meet growing power demand from data centers. 

Goldman Sachs estimated those facilities will suck up 165% more electricity by 2030. Markets and Markets predicted the battery storage market will hit $25.6 billion by 2025, up from under $10 billion now. 

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The work orders can help to limit planet-warming air pollution that is a bane to nearly everyone on Earth, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO cited asthma aggravation and other severe health risks as negative outcomes linked to breathing poor-quality air. 

For their part, reliable packs can store more solar and wind energy for longer stretches, extending cleaner power's ability to limit the need for electricity generated by dirty-fuel sources.

The solar-battery combination is even accessible at home. Adding a rooftop system with a smaller pack such as a Tesla Powerwall can reduce or eliminate your utility bill, charge your EV, and provide blackout protection. 

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For Lyten, the news came with details about investments worth $650 million to expand its global work. The company did not disclose financial details on the Poland plant acquisition.

"It is important and exciting that the factory in Gdansk, built for the production of energy storage systems, will continue its operations," Northvolt Poland CEO Robert Chryc-Gawrychowski said in the release. 

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