Altair Nanotechnologies Inc., a leading provider of advanced nanomaterials technology used in power and energy systems, life sciences and industrial applications, today announced the signing of a $2.5 million contract with the United States Navy for the development of battery backup power systems in Naval applications.
Under the terms of the contract, Altair will develop an optimized battery cell employing its nano-sized lithium titanate (n-LTO) electrode materials and then demonstrate the performance and safety attributes of the cell. Altair will also develop and demonstrate a modular system design for utilization of the product technology in multiple military applications, including energy and power storage for Naval applications. The $2.5 million contract is funded as part of a $3.3 million United States Navy program that includes independent product testing by the Navy.
"This is a validation test program for our new disruptive battery technology," said Altairnano CEO and President Alan J. Gotcher, Ph.D. "We are proud to be working with the U.S. Navy and assisting in the launch of a new class of battery backup systems for its fleet performance application. Warships, in particular, run two generators continuously, one to supply energy and one to provide a backup energy source. The fuel cost for the backup is staggering. We look forward to working with the Navy team in developing and commercializing our product technology."