Flow battery

The switch to sustainable energy causes peak loads on the grid because supply and demand of energy are not always matched. Energy storage can then provide a solution. The batteries we currently use do not have sufficient capacity to store large amounts of solar and wind energy economically. 

"Our flow battery works in a completely different way and stores power differently from a lithium or lead-acid battery. The energy is not stored in the battery cells, but in separate tanks containing hydrogen and bromine," Dalessi explains. "At the heart of the system, the two substances come together in a so-called stack, where the chemical reaction takes place. That causes the battery to charge or discharge." 

Wherever there is large-scale generation, it is useful to consider a battery. Think, for instance, of companies or farms that have their entire roof full of solar panels, often with too small a power connection. Or solar and wind farms that cannot yet be connected now, but will soon be. It is also interesting for neighbourhoods to build a battery that you share with local residents. Although the latter would require a change in the law. For now, this can only be done at pilot sites under the living lab scheme. 

Attractive price

A key ambition of Elestor is to reduce the cost of electricity storage. The storage cost per kWh of current batteries is too high, which means that several solar and wind farms cannot currently be connected economically. 

Dalessi: "Bromine is extracted from seawater and is therefore cheap and widely available. In addition, the battery can charge and discharge about 10,000 times, giving it a long lifespan." 

Both aspects make the battery yield extremely low storage costs per kWh, making storage a revenue model for the end user. Essential because renewable energy is hardly worth anything at times of high supply. "With our technology, we create a much better revenue model. And because our system is quite compact, you also need less land to place it." 

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Interesting in large-scale generation 

Elestor’s technology becomes more cost-effective as the systems grow in size. From a technical perspective, there are no limitations to this, meaning systems capable of generating hundreds of megawatt-hours can be built. “At present, we are focusing, amongst other things, on international customers in this category. Various companies have specifically requested a flow battery and have committed to us for this purpose. In addition, there are a few hundred potential customers who are considering this option.” 

To serve all these customers and make a real impact, Elestor plans to build a huge factory within five years to produce flow batteries in large quantities. Key investors have stepped in because they believe in the company, making it possible to bring the technology to market. The unique technology brings the advantage that there is hardly any competition. This also means that employees have to learn the trade at Elestor: 

"For the specific knowledge we need, we look for the best people. As the Dutch labour market is quite overstrained, we also bring in people from abroad. Just last year, for instance, we hired a young lady from Iran. Together they form an international team of eighteen employees, including two PhD students. There are also several interesting vacancies. For interns and graduates, we also have a good cooperation in the region with the HAN and Radboud University."