Alsym Energy and ERITY Sign 9GWh Deal to Bring Sodium-Ion Batteries to Mining
A US battery maker and Australian mining services firm agreed to deploy 9 gigawatt-hours of non-flammable sodium-ion storage across mining operations.
Two companies announced a 9GWh battery supply agreement on July 1, 2026, targeting one of the most fire-sensitive industrial environments on earth: underground and remote mining sites. Massachusetts-based Alsym Energy, which develops sodium-ion batteries it describes as non-flammable and low-cost, signed a Strategic Relationship Agreement with ERITY, a Perth-based services organization focused on the mining, resources, and energy sectors. The deal establishes a formal framework for the two companies to jointly identify, pursue, and deliver battery energy storage systems (BESS) across multiple mining use-cases. Beyond mines themselves, the agreement also covers mobile data centers and utility-scale energy projects, broadening its potential reach. Sodium-ion batteries are an emerging alternative to the lithium-ion technology that dominates electric vehicles and grid storage today. They use sodium — far more abundant and cheaper than lithium — and certain chemistries have shown lower flammability, a critical advantage in confined underground workings where a battery fire can be catastrophic. The 9GWh figure represents the total volume of battery capacity the two parties intend to deploy together under the agreement, though no timeline or phased rollout schedule was detailed in the available reporting.
Why it matters
Mining operations face strict safety constraints around flammable equipment underground, making non-flammable battery chemistry a potentially significant enabler of electrified mining machinery and on-site energy storage. A 9GWh commitment, if fulfilled, would represent a substantial early-market validation for sodium-ion technology at industrial scale.
What's next
The two companies will begin jointly identifying and pursuing specific projects under the Strategic Relationship Agreement framework, though no project timelines were disclosed.
Key facts
- The agreement covers 9 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery energy storage capacity
- Alsym Energy is headquartered in Malden, Massachusetts; ERITY is based in Perth, Australia
- The deal was announced July 1, 2026
- Target applications include mining operations, mobile data centers, and utility-scale projects
- Alsym's batteries use sodium-ion chemistry, which the company characterizes as non-flammable and low-cost
- The agreement is a Strategic Relationship Agreement (SRA), a framework for jointly identifying and delivering projects — not a confirmed purchase order
Bias & framing notes
All six sources carry identical headlines and appear to reproduce the same Business Wire press release with minimal or no independent reporting. No source sought comment from outside the two companies, verified the 9GWh figure independently, or provided critical context on Alsym's commercial track record. The framing is entirely that of a corporate announcement, and the word 'landmark' in the headline originates from the companies' own press materials.
NewsClear — neutral news & congressional tracking · Bill of the Week