Iron flow battery technology has been strengthened by Energy Storage Industries — Asia Pacific (ESI) to secure Queensland's future as a renewable energy superpower.
This year has seen a number of milestones for the Queensland-based, Australian-owned company. The first of ESI's long-duration, grid-scale batteries has completed the final stage of commissioning, the first production batteries are now being transported to a customer's pilot site, and Queensland's Deputy Premier has recognised the company's technology.
According to ESI Managing Director Stuart Parry, the value of iron flow technology is being recognised throughout industry and government in Queensland and throughout Australia.
“Queensland is at the forefront of battery technology development and ESI is helping reinforce this state’s reputation as a leader in the renewable energy economy,” he said. “We will continue to deliver on the promise of our leading-edge technology, which is critical to supplying Queensland’s and Australia’s long-term low-carbon energy needs.”
An ESI battery was commissioned in January at Brisbane's National Battery Testing Centre at Banyo, where it demonstrated its ability to capture surplus energy and return it to the grid during peak times. The battery proved to be more than capable of performing in Australia's harsh conditions after two months of testing by experts from Queensland University of Technology.
Later that month, ESI welcomed representatives from leading energy companies to Banyo, including the Queensland Government-owned Stanwell Corporation, a major provider of electricity and energy solutions.
At the same time, the next ten battery systems manufactured in the United States by ESI's partner ESS Inc. began their journey across the Pacific Ocean, bound for the first of our client pilot sites. Ten more battery systems will be added in the coming weeks. Iron flow batteries will be assembled at ESI's $70 million manufacturing plant in Maryborough beginning in 2024, where civil works are currently underway to support the facility's construction.
In January, Deputy Premier Steven Miles paid a visit to ESI's Maryborough facility to launch Queensland's Battery Strategy Discussion Paper, which examines how the state can become a leader in energy storage technology. The paper emphasised the significance of iron flow batteries in Queensland's energy future. Following his visit, Mike Kaiser, Director General of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government, and Planning, stated that large, grid-scale batteries will be in high demand in Queensland and globally as global electricity grids transition to renewable energy.
Mr Parry said: “We are grateful for the support of the Queensland Government in bringing this technology to scale. Localising assembly, testing and support will be critical to deploying at scale and the support we’ve received has been of immense value.”
ESI batteries will support customers and clients in wholesale electricity generation, energy retailers and customers in commercial and industrial sectors.