Demand for energy storage soda ash

Are new energy sectors supporting a strong growth in soda ash demand?

Last year’s World Soda Ash Conference in Athens, Greece, organised by Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS, a Dow Jones company. Marguerite Morrin* outlines how new energy sectors are supporting a strong growth in soda ash demand. Soda ash plays a key role in numerous industrial sectors with glass accounting for approximately 60% of world consumption.

Could a new soda ash mine be the world's largest ash deposit?

A new mine project near Green River will tap into the world’s largest soda ash deposit and satisfy the growing demand for electric vehicles and solar panels. In 2019, annual demand for soda ash was about 58 million tons and by 2021, that jumped to 63 million tons.

How much would soda ash cost per kWh?

There would be hundreds of TWH of power storage from each billion tons of soda ash. Based on material costs of $4 per kWh there could be $8 to $10 per kWh sodium ion batteries in the future. This would be ten times cheaper than energy storage batteries today. Soda Ash Mine in Wyoming

Is there a shortage of soda ash?

There is no shortage of salt or soda ash. The United States has about 90% of the world’s readily mined reserves of soda ash. Wyoming has 47 billion tons of mineable soda ash in the Green River basin. There would be hundreds of TWH of power storage from each billion tons of soda ash.

How does technology affect soda ash production?

Natural soda ash production is typically much lower cost than synthetic. As such, the changing technology profile is also changing the global cost curve. Competition is on a delivered basis and the geographical location of where capacity is being added will also impact on competitiveness. Fig 2. Soda ash import trends in Asia. Demand growth

Will soda ash demand increase in China in 2024?

There is to be a net increase in soda ash capacity in China of 5.5 million mt in 2024, which is in excess of short-term expectations for new demand. However, demand growth to date this year is once again exceeding expectations with demand in the first six months of 2023 up by 27%, year-on-year.