Redflow tapped for remote WA energy trial

Queensland's Redflow has been chosen to supply and install a 100kW/400kWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Western Australia for Horizon Power. It is part of a trial in the use of long-duration batteries to help Australians living in off-grid communities store cheaper, cleaner solar energy. The initial deployment will review how Redflow’s zinc-bromine flow battery operates on Horizon Power’s network, with a distinct focus on how the technology bears up in summer temperatures well over 40 degrees in the Nullagine area. Meanwhile, BASF’s 250 kW sodium sulphur battery in Carnarvon will be the first of its kind in Australia to connect to a regulated network and a Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems platform. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $2.85 million towards the trial under the Regional Australia Microgrids Pilot Program, matched by the Western Australian Government. Redflow chief executive officer and managing director Tim Harris said he was excited to be playing a part in Horizon Power’s transition to net zero. "As Australia moves towards its net zero goals, it is vital that the utility networks gain experience with the operation of long-duration energy storage (LDES)," he said. "Local utilities are developing strategies to determine how they can achieve their net-zero targets given their enormous energy storage needs. "This project with Horizon Power represents Redflow’s second project with an Australian utility providing LDES technology." The Queensland Government last year announced it was investing $12 million for Redflow to supply 4MWh of zinc-bromine flow battery energy storage to Energy Queensland. The new project in WA will see Redflow supply and install two Pod 200 units to provide 400kWh of storage capacity along with power conditioning equipment and control systems. Deployment is expected late in 2024 subject to concluding customary procurement agreements and final technical approvals. Horizon Power chief executive officer Stephanie Unwin said the group was excited about the groundbreaking trials. "Our Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) trials will provide our project team with key learnings around how the technology can be effectively integrated into our network and test their temperature resilience in regions with extreme weather conditions," she said. "Our latest trials will continue our exploration of LDES technologies which are suitable for withstanding the extreme temperatures of our regions, providing valuable insights which will support with future deployment of the batteries in our regions.” The new project comes hot on the heels of Redflow attracting $1.12 million under the Queensland Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund to advance zinc-bromine battery manufacturing. The 2023 CSIRO Renewable Energy Storage Roadmap highlighted Australia’s need to rapidly develop a pipeline of projects across a variety of energy storage technologies given the limited range of commercially mature energy storage options currently available. Battery technologies Redflow’s zinc bromine flow battery - an electro-chemical flow battery where chemical energy is provided by two chemical components dissolved in liquids that are pumped through the battery cell on separate sides of a membrane. Ion exchange (accompanied by flow of electric current) occurs through the membrane while both liquids circulate in their own respective space. BASF’s sodium sulphur battery - a type of molten-salt battery constructed from liquid sodium and sulphur and is often referred to as a NAS battery. In 2019, BASF entered into a joint venture partnership with NGK to further research the technology and distribute the battery in Australia. The technology requires heating to 300°C for optimum performance and is ideally suited to hot working environments where savings in parasitic losses are possible.

Redflow tapped for remote WA energy trial

Industry Queensland

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