Forge Minerals
20 June 2025
The transition to net-zero relies on electrification, particularly in heavy industries such as mining and transportation, where off-grid operations demand high-performance battery solutions. Current battery technologies fail to meet all essential criteria: safety, high energy density, rapid charging, and long cycle life.
Echion Technologies has developed XNO®, a patented niobium-based anode material for lithium-ion batteries that overcomes these limitations. With an optimized crystal structure, XNO® enables fast charging and discharging while eliminating the risk of lithium dendrite formation, a major barrier to safe and efficient battery use.
Presented under the ‘Clean Our Air’ category in the 2025 Earthshot Prize, XNO® offers an industrial-scale solution that balances safety, energy density, and performance. Unlike traditional graphite anodes, which have slow charge times and safety concerns, or lithium titanate (LTO) alternatives, which suffer from low energy density, XNO® provides a superior combination of fast charging, safety, and longevity.
One of the standout features of XNO® is its ability to support high power applications without compromising cycle life, making it ideal for industries requiring reliable, high-performance batteries. The material is already commercially available and marks a significant breakthrough in energy storage technology.
Echion Co-founder and CTO, Alex Groombridge said:
“We are delighted to be part of the Earthshot Prize process. Sustainability is at the heart of our offer and while the success of XNO® will ultimately be determined by hard-nosed commercial metrics, we never lose sight of our key purpose, to decarbonise industrial transport with a differentiated, high performance battery solution.”
