Battery a Boost to Renewable Energy

The Victorian Government-funded Centre for Energy and Greenhouse Technologies in Australia will invest up to $1 million to help commercialize a new battery that could be used by the renewable-energy industry to smooth out intermittent energy flows.

Chief Executive Jan Dekker said $200,000 had been committed to begin development of the vanadium bromide redox flow battery created by Prof. Maria Skyllas-Kazacos of the University of New South Wales. As much as $1 million will be spent over two years on 5kW and 50kW prototype batteries.

The CEGT will be a half-share partner with the University of NSW, with the technology put into a joint venture company called V Fuels. If the technology is developed further, the private sector will be brought in.

Dekker said the battery was significantly better than competing technologies, was 80% efficient in energy storage and release and had an unlimited life. Storage ability of twice that achieved by competing technologies was being targeted, he added.

“The vanadium bromide redox battery would allow electricity generated from renewable energy sources to be stored, and injected into the transmission grid when needed. Quite simply, this means for energy sources such as solar and wind power that even if the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing, stored renewable energy can be made available to meet peak demands,” Dekker said.

Applications could extend to domestic installations, transport vehicles, backup supply for hospitals and industry and remote area power needs, he said.

CEGT was formed in 2003 to invest $14.25 million the government had committed to sustainable energy and greenhouse-gas reduction technologies.