Made-in-Australia microemulsion flow battery for long-duration storage

Newcastle-headquartered energy storage company Allegro Energy has unveiled a breakthrough in long-duration energy storage (LDES) with Australia’s first microemulsion flow battery.

Allegro’s non-flammable, scalable, and cost-effective battery technology will debut at Origin Energy’s Eraring Power Station, reinforcing the role of LDES in Australia’s clean energy transition.

Allegro Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr Thomas Nann said the battery represents breakthrough chemistry that can support the clean energy transition in Australia and globally.

“It also shows how Australia can use advanced manufacturing to stand out from the crowd and do what others can’t,” Nann said.

Allegro Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Fraser Hughson added the battery will benefit the Newcastle economy as components that go into the battery are largely sourced locally.

“We’re trying to do everything as locally as possible, and that’s not just because we want to but because it makes economic sense,” Hughson said.

Origin Energy, which has a 5% equity stake in Allegro Energy said on LinkedIn that it believes battery storage, including long duration storage, will play a critical role in Australia’s energy transition.

“Through our partnership with Allegro, we’re excited to pilot this innovative technology at Eraring Power Station before exploring further rollout to customer sites,” the comment said.

Origin’s stake in Allegro supports the staged development of the 60 MWh pilot redox flow battery (RFB) and gives Origin the option to support Allegro all the way through to funding its first gigafactory.

From pv magazine Australia.