RENEWABLE ENERGY
An ESS Energy Warehouse in situ
technologies become commercially available, the sector is expected to grow rapidly; Bloomberg NEF predicts that energy storage installations are on course to reach a cumulative 411GWh by the end of 2030 compared to the 27GWh deployed at the end of 2021. Te LDES Council, an industry trade association, estimates that the world will need to deploy 1TWh of capacity globally by 2025 to stay on track to achieve net zero energy sector emissions by 2040. Flow batteries are an emerging technology that can provide cost- effective LDES without the cost, safety or geographical constraints associated with pumped hydro and Li-ion. Although the fundamental technology has existed since the 1970s, technical and economic challenges have limited their deployment to date.
A new type of flow battery, using
an iron-based electrolyte, has gained prominence in recent years as it overcomes both the cost and technical issues associated with prior flow battery technologies. Iron flow batteries do not require critical minerals, relying instead upon earth- abundant materials, are safe and nontoxic and can provide 6-12 hours of energy storage. Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the clean energy fund that is backed by Bill Gates, has backed iron-based battery companies including the US-headquartered ESS.
IRON-FLOW BATTERY TECHNOLOGY Flow batteries store chemical energy in liquid electrolytes that circulate through the system separated by specialised membranes in the battery modules.
Te initial discharged state of an iron flow battery consists of dissolved Fe2+
in an
aqueous solution. To charge the battery, current is applied, and two reactions. When it discharges, the reverse reactions take place. Electrolyte continuously circulates through the power modules, enabling rapid shifts from charge to discharge. Iron flow battery technology was
first developed by NASA in the 1970s, but early prototypes experienced rapid capacity degradation due to side reactions in the electrolyte. Over many cycles, the electrolytes in early iron flow batteries became unstable due to a build- up of Fe(OH)3
on the separator and
electrode. At the time, they had to be regularly treated with acid to remove the Fe(OH)3
. Tis maintenance requirement made them impractical for many commercial applications.
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