Redflow to partner with university on extending flow battery capabilities

Brisbane based battery manufacturer Redflow has announced it will collaborate with the University of Queensland (UQ) in a research project designed to extend the operational ability of the company’s zinc bromine flow battery.

The study will be part of esa $5 million Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Hub for Safe and Reliable Energy Storage administered by Deakin University.

The project between will seek to develop a deeper understanding of the electrolyte chemistry and electrode materials at the heart of its zine bromine flow battery technology.

“The goal of our four-year project is extending flow battery operation and our first priority is to employ the University of Queensland’s extensive facilities to perform advanced electrolyte analysis,” said Steven Hickey, CTO of Redflow.

“In order for us to advance our competitive position in the market, we see significant opportunity to lower our Levelised Cost of Storage (LCOS). Extending the operation of flow batteries is a key requirement for renewable energy strategy.”

Redflow claims that its zinc bromine flow battery is one of the world’s safest, scalable, and most sustainable energy storage solutions on the market, offering a long-life design and chemistry that means the battery is cost-effective and fire-safe, and does not rely on rare-earth or high-toxicity materials.

Already this year Redflow has completed the installation of a “milestone” 2MWh project in California, following on from having rolled out a total of 2GWh during the second half of 2021 consisting of 241 zinc bromine flow battery projects in the United States, South Africa, and Australia.

Collaborating with Redflow in the new research project is Dr Bin Luo, from UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, who reiterated the promising nature of Redflow’s zinc bromine flow battery.

“We are excited to partner with Redflow and combine our expertise and strengths to solve what is ultimately a practical industrial problem,” said Dr Luo.

“Flow batteries have emerged as prime candidates in the development of large-scale grid-connected energy storage systems because they are more efficient, have a longer life cycle, and offer a lower cost for applications that require high energy-to-power ratios.

“This project will enhance the market competitiveness of Redflow’s products and extend their application in both residential energy storage and industries that require long-duration energy output.”