Member of Parliament Emmi Zeulner finds out about CeraSalt® battery

High-ranking visitor to Alumina Systems: Bundestag member Emmi Zeulner (on the right) found out about the current development status of the CeraSalt® battery. The MP was instrumental in ensuring that Alumina Systems was funded as part of the second major European project for battery cell production. Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs, and Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker, then State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, handed over a funding certificate for 8.7 million euros to the company in March 2021. Alumina Systems is one of only eleven companies in Germany whose battery projects are supported by the European Union, federal and state governments.

Dr.-Ing. Holger Wampers, managing partner (left in the picture), led the Bundestag member through the new production halls, where the first batteries will be produced under the brand name CeraSalt® from 2024. According to Wamper, the development of the battery began in 2018. “The project has gained significant momentum thanks to the funding commitment of 8.7 million euros in 2021,” emphasized Dr. Wampers. Dr. expressly thanked Wampers in this context with MP Emmi Zeulner: “You were able to convince yourself of the innovative strength of our company at the ‘Innovation Day 2019’ and were then able to establish important contacts with the Federal Ministry of Economics. Without you we would not have received this funding.” As a token of thanks, Dr. Wampers gave the MP a bouquet of flowers, which she immediately passed on to the only female member of the CeraSalt® team from Alumina Systems, Kerstin Zeies (pictured in the middle).

After a tour of production, MP Emmi Zeulner was extremely impressed by the performance and innovative strength of Alumina Systems GmbH. “It is important that local companies are supported in order to strengthen medium-sized businesses in Germany,” emphasized the MP. In a conversation with the CeraSalt® team, Emmi Zeulner was pleased with the team’s high level of motivation and the fact that some of the employees have been with the company for decades.

According to the company’s plans, the first 8,000 battery cells will be manufactured in Redwitz next year. According to Dr. Wampers, Alumina Systems invested in another hall and new machines. The managing partner expressly thanked the now ten-strong CeraSalt® team led by Dr. Kai Sauerzapfe. “With great commitment and a lot of know-how, you have laid the foundation for the success of the CeraSalt® project.”

The CeraSalt® battery stores electrical energy based on salt and nickel. This technology is very suitable for stationary applications due to its limited charging and discharging rates. The CeraSalt® batteries are characterized by a high level of safety: due to their design, they cannot burn or explode. In addition, CeraSalt® batteries can be manufactured extremely sustainably: the necessary raw materials are not critical in terms of global availability. This means that the batteries can be recycled almost 100%.

The areas of application for stationary energy storage are very diverse. They range from single-family homes with photovoltaic systems to solar and wind farms to large-scale solutions in industry or for emergency power supplies for important infrastructure facilities (hospitals, authorities).

The CeraSalt® team with Emmi Zeulner, member of the Bundestag (2nd from right), Dr. Kai Sauerzapfe, Head of Battery Systems (5th from the right) and Dr.-Ing. Holger Wampers, managing partner (5th from left).