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Energy density extended reference table

This is an extended version of the energy density table from the main Energy density page.

Last revised
Jun 14, 2026
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≈ 5 min
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This is an extended version of the energy density table from the main Energy density page.

Energy densities table
Storage type Specific energy (MJ/kg) Energy density (MJ/L) Peak recovery efficiency % Practical recovery efficiency %
Arbitrary antimatter 89,875,517,874 depends on density
Deuterium–tritium fusion 576,000,0001
Uranium-235 fissile isotope 144,000,0001 1,500,000,000
Natural uranium (99.3% U-238, 0.7% U-235) in fast breeder reactor 86,000,000
Reactor-grade uranium (3.5% U-235) in light-water reactor 3,456,000 35%
Pu-238 α-decay 2,200,000
Hf-178m2 isomer 1,326,000 17,649,060
Natural uranium (0.7% U235) in light-water reactor 443,000 35%
Ta-180m isomer 41,340 689,964
Metallic hydrogen (recombination energy) 2162
Specific orbital energy of low Earth orbit (approximate) 33.0
Beryllium + oxygen 23.93
Lithium + fluorine 23.75
Octaazacubane potential explosive 22.94
Hydrogen + oxygen 13.45
Gasoline + oxygen 13.3
Dinitroacetylene explosive – computed 9.8
Octanitrocubane explosive 8.56 16.9
Tetranitrotetrahedrane explosive – computed 8.3
Heptanitrocubane explosive – computed 8.2
Sodium (reacted with chlorine) 7.0349
Hexanitrobenzene explosive 77
Tetranitrocubane explosive – computed 6.95
Ammonal (Al+NH4NO3 oxidizer) 6.9 12.7
Tetranitromethane + hydrazine bipropellant – computed 6.6
Nitroglycerin 6.388 10.29
ANFO–ANNM 6.26
Lithium–air battery 6.12
Octogen (HMX) 5.78 10.810
TNT11 4.610 6.92
Copper thermite (Al + CuO as oxidizer) 4.13 20.9
Thermite (powder Al + Fe2O3 as oxidizer) 4.00 18.4
ANFO 3.7
Hydrogen peroxide decomposition (as monopropellant) 2.7 3.8
Li-ion nanowire battery 2.54 29 95%12
Lithium thionyl chloride battery13 2.5
Water (220.64 bar, 373.8 °C) 1.968 0.708
Kinetic energy penetrator 1.9 30
Lithium–sulfur battery14 1.8015 1.26
Fluoride-ion battery 1.7 2.8
Hydrogen closed cycle fuel cell16 1.62
Hydrazine decomposition (as monopropellant) 1.6 1.6
Ammonium nitrate decomposition (as monopropellant) 1.4 2.5
Molten salt 1 98%17
Molecular spring (approximate) 1
Lithium metal battery1819 0.83-1.01 1.98-2.09
Sodium–sulfur battery 0.7220 1.23 85%21
Lithium-ion battery2223 0.46–0.72 0.83–3.624 95%25
Sodium–nickel chloride battery, high temperature 0.56
Zinc–manganese (alkaline) battery, long life design1822 0.4-0.59 1.15-1.43
Silver-oxide battery18 0.47 1.8
Flywheel 0.36–0.52627
5.56 × 45 mm NATO bullet muzzle energy density 0.4 3.2
Nickel–metal hydride battery (NiMH), low power design as used in consumer batteries28 0.4 1.55
Liquid nitrogen 0.349
Water – enthalpy of fusion 0.334 0.334
Zinc–bromine flow battery (ZnBr)29 0.27
Nickel–metal hydride battery (NiMH), high-power design as used in cars30 0.250 0.493
Nickel–cadmium battery (NiCd)22 0.14 1.08 80%25
22 || 0.13 || 0.331 || ||
Lead–acid battery22 0.14 0.36
Vanadium redox battery 0.09 0.1188 7070-75%
Vanadium bromide redox battery 0.18 0.252 80%–90%31
Ultracapacitor 0.019932 0.050
Supercapacitor 0.01 80%–98.5%33 39%–70%33
Superconducting magnetic energy storage 0.00834 >95%
Capacitor 0.00235
Neodymium magnet 0.00336
Ferrite magnet 0.000336
Spring power (clock spring), torsion spring 0.0003 0.0006
Storage type Energy density by mass (MJ/kg) Energy density by volume (MJ/L) Peak recovery efficiency % Practical recovery efficiency %
Notes

Notes

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