Stanwell to test and make Redflow long duration flow batteries as it prepares for life after coal

Queensland government owned coal-fired power generator Stanwell will partner with Brisbane-based Redflow to trial Redflow’s latest large-scale zinc bromine flow technology and lay the foundations for a battery manufacturing facility in Queensland.

In a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Tuesday, the two companies will undertake a pre-feasibility study for an initial 5 MWh project using Redflow’s new X10 battery at the Stanwell Future Energy Innovation Training Hub (FEITH) near Rockhampton, Queensland.

The ultimate plan is to collaborate on the development and deployment of the X10 ZBM batteries in a large-scale project of up to 400 MWh, which will serve as a potential anchor order for Redflow’s planned Queensland factory.

Founded in 2008, Redflow designs flow battery technology that offers a much longer duration, safer and longer lasting alternative to lithium ion. Its batteries use water-based electrolytes, which act as a fire retardant, making them ideal for critical infrastructure like hospitals, power stations and military bases.

The Australian company, which currently manufactures its zine bromide flow batteries in Thailand, has made significant inroads into the US market since the introduction of the Biden government’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), including being tapped by the California Energy Committee to supply 15.4MWh of batteries for a microgrid project.

Redflow is also in talks to supply 34MWh of battery storage to the US Department of Energy for the Valley Children’s Hospital, with final contracting set to be finalised in the first half of the 2025-26 financial year.

On its home turf, success has been patchy, but a recent policy focus on building domestic battery supply chain capabilities from both the federal and Queensland governments has put Redlfow in the spotlight.

At a quarterly investor briefing in January outlining the company’s four-year “path to profitability plan,” Redflow flagged a bigger, better “next generation” zinc bromide flow battery in the works called X10 that would be competitive with all large-scale battery technologies on the market, including lithium.

The ASX-listed company also raised the prospect of setting up a factory in Australia. These plans firmed up significantly in March, when Redflow was awarded up to $1.12 willion under the Queensland Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund towards the cause.

The battery fund is part of the state government’s $571 million Battery Industry Strategy – a policy plan to set up a battery supply chain in Queensland with a particular focus on alternatives to lithium-ion that promise the sort of longer duration energy storage needed to help support the shift to renewables.

The new MoU this week takes the dream of Australian-based battery manufacturing another step closer to reality for Redflow, with the added momentum of Stanwell’s bid to shed its reputation as Australia’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter by shifting from coal to renewables.

“Stanwell has ambitious targets for energy storage within our portfolio and we see longer duration energy storage solutions such as Redflow’s as being crucial to meeting our customer demand for firmed renewable solutions,” said Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke on Tuesday.

“We already have a number of battery storage projects in the pipeline, and this new partnership will ensure the battery technologies deployed in the future are the best fit to serve our communities and customers through our renewable transformation.

“Partnering with an Australian company like Redflow also aligns with our values by creating opportunities for local jobs and investment,” O’Rourke said.

Redflow CEO and Managing Director Tim Harris says the MoU with Stanwell reinforces the critical role that long-duration energy storage will play in Australia becoming a renewable energy superpower.

“As a proud Australian company, with locally developed world leading technology and a recognised leader in long-duration energy storage, we are proud to be working with Stanwell as they deliver on the Queensland Government’s commitment to assist with the accelerated development and adoption of non-lithium alternatives,” Harris said.