Why switch from pumped hydroelectricity energy storage to flow batteries?
This year’s International Flow Battery Forum comes at a time of almost insatiable demand for battery energy storage, an ever pressing need to reduce carbon based electrical generation, and an urgent desire to ensure energy security at local, national and international levels.
We will look at examples of flow battery applications that address these, both within the power industry and also in other industries and businesses. Our hosts Pinflow, from the Czech Republic, will display their modules at our industry visit and their co-founder Jiří Vránawill present the case for using flow batteries to reduce costs of electricity supply in the water treatment industry. We will look at other business cases for flow batteries, hearing from Bryte Batteries, Redflow and Aramco. Thomas Lüth, of Voith Hydro, one of the major equipment suppliers for pumped hydroelectricity storage, will be in our business panel session discussing the switch to flow batteries.
We are privileged to have the CEO’s of Cellcube and Invinity and the MD of Sumitomo Electric Industries’ Energy Business joining us. They will talk about their current projects and discuss how the market for flow batteries will develop. At a regional level, we have speakers covering the market for flow batteries in Asia, Australasia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. We will discuss the plans for the European Net Zero Industry Act as part of the Green Deal and see how this compares with the support offered by the USA’s Inflation Reduction Act. If the case for the economy and sustainability of flow batteries is so convincing, why do we need government support to encourage the market for flow batteries?
Flow batteries can offer long lifetimes, high cycle lives and low costs. We will hear about the quiet revolutions taking place across Asia, Australia, Europe and North America where new manufacturing plants are producing flow battery components and systems. Tony Schultz of North Harbour Clean Energy will tell us about the collaboration agreement with Cellcube for manufacturing flow battery modules in Australia. Larry Zulch of Invinity will introduce their manufacturing plant in Scotland.
As well as being international in our outlook, we also are inter-technology. This year we will have oral and poster presentations on a range of flow battery chemistries, not only vanadium but also aqueous- and non-aqueous organic electrolytes, iron chrome, iron iron, zinc air, iron vanadium, hydrogen vanadium, zinc bromine and organic zinc. We will go beyond the electrochemistry and look into supply chain management and, importantly, the manufacturing capability of the industry to produce the flow batteries that the market needs.
Our platinum sponsors this year are US Vanadium and Quino Energy. Mark Smith of US Vanadium will give a keynote address focusing on his company’s capability to supply vanadium electrolyte to meet increased demand. Eugene Beh of Quino Energy will highlight the latest advances in the supply of organic electrolytes produced using established flow battery technology.
Energy security is a priority, and understanding what is needed so the electricity system does not fail is vital. We will hear from the network operators about the role of energy storage in supporting transmission and distribution, and look at how flow batteries can compete against other types of energy storage in the sustainability arena.
Our full programme is available on our booking platform. Please register and join us in Prague.
