Chinese Scientists Develop High-Power Primary Lithium Battery for Extreme Conditions

A research team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has developed a 25 ampere-hour pouch-type primary lithium metal battery designed to deliver both high energy density and high discharge rates. According to testing by the China Electronics Standardization Institute, the cell achieves over 750 Wh/kg at low discharge rates and maintains 656 Wh/kg at a 1C rate with a specific power of 4,487 W/kg at room temperature. The team has established a 10-tonne pilot production line for the proprietary high-entropy oxide cathode material as testing begins across drones, robotics, and aerospace simulators.

Primary lithium batteries have historically traded discharge power for long-term storage shelf life, limiting their utility in high-drain burst scenarios such as aerospace attitude control, drone maneuvering in turbulent conditions, and cold-climate remote sensing. By achieving high continuous and burst discharge rates alongside extreme-cold endurance down to minus 40 degrees Celsius, this technology addresses critical power-source bottlenecks for specialized robotic and remote instrumentation platforms.

A research team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) has developed a high-energy, high-power 25 ampere-hour (Ah) pouch-type primary lithium metal battery, according to a report by People's Daily. Traditional primary lithium batteries are widely used for long-term standby applications because of their low self-discharge rates and high energy density, but they typically suffer from low discharge rates, making them unable to supply the burst power required by dynamic equipment. Led by Chen Zhongwei, director of the State Key Laboratory of Catalysis and Energy Conversion at DICP, the research team aimed to resolve this trade-off. Testing conducted by the safety laboratory at the China Electronics Standardization Institute confirmed that the battery achieves an energy density exceeding 750 Wh/kg and 1,285 Wh/L at low discharge rates. When operating at a 1C discharge rate—representing a roughly hundredfold increase in discharge rate compared to standard primary lithium cells—the battery delivers an energy density of 656 Wh/kg and 1,130 Wh/L. The battery demonstrates a specific power of 4,487 W/kg at room temperature, supports short-duration pulse discharges up to 10C, and sustains continuous discharge at 4C. In low-temperature environments of minus 40 degrees Celsius, the cell retains a 1C energy density of 447 Wh/kg. The annual self-discharge rate remains below 1 percent, preserving long shelf-life capabilities. Chen attributed the performance gains to innovations in cathode chemistry, where the team designed a high-entropy oxide material yielding a specific capacity exceeding 430 mAh/g. To facilitate translation from the laboratory to manufacturing, the institute established an annual 10-tonne pilot production line covering the entire supply chain from raw material synthesis to cell assembly. The certified cells are currently undergoing validation testing across several specialized platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles, obstacle-clearing robotics, aerospace simulation hardware, and unattended field sensors operating in harsh environments.