Designed with the Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, the Ryden dual carbon battery uses anodes and cathodes made of carbon and an organic electrolyte, which removes the need for rare earth materials and thus reduces cost and environmental impact, as well as avoiding price fluctuations.

It offers the same energy density as a lithium-ion battery, but with significant improvements in charging capability. Power Japan Plus says the battery can charge at 20 times the rate of current generation units and, unusually, can be 100% charged and discharged without becoming damaged.

Removing the need for unstable active materials also reduces the fire and explosion hazard, and the units are 100% recyclable at the end of life, the company said. The technology will be licensed to existing battery manufacturers to bring it to market, not only in large applications such as electric vehicles, but for smaller industries such as medical supplies and satellites.

The company’s chief executive officer, Dou Kani, said: ‘Power Japan Plus is a materials engineer for a new class of carbon material that balances economics, performance and sustainability in a world of constrained resources. The Ryden dual carbon battery is the energy storage breakthrough needed to bring green technology like electric vehicles to mass market.’