Redflow belatedly eyes local battery manufacture

Flow battery manufacture Redflow has announced what it calls ‘a significant step towards delivering local manufacturing’ through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Queensland energy generator Stanwell Corporation.

The Australian company, which has until now chosen to manufacture its zinc-bromine flow battery overseas, will collaborate with Stanwell on the development and deployment of its new X10 battery solution for use in a large-scale project of up to 400 MWh.

The company said in a statement that this would ‘serve as a potential anchor order for Redflow’s planned manufacturing facility in Queensland’.

Redflow CEO and Managing Director Tim Harris said: “With the launch of the Queensland Government’s Battery Strategy and Energy and Jobs plan, and the recently released Australian Government National Battery Strategy, this announcement reinforces the incredibly critical role that energy storage and more specifically long-duration energy storage, will play in Australia becoming a renewable energy superpower.

“As a proud Australian company, with locally developed world leading technology and a recognised leader in long-duration energy storage, we are proud to be working with Stanwell as they deliver on the Queensland Government’s commitment to assist with the accelerated development and adoption of non-lithium alternatives.”

The announcement follows the highlighting of zinc bromine flow batteries in the federal government’s strategy.

The batteries are said to be cheaper to scale, have long cycle-life and are specifically relevant for large-scale systems.

However thoughts of local manufacture are a long way off with Redflow’s announcement highly qualified

Stanwell and Redflow will undertake a ‘preliminary due diligence pre-feasibility study’ for an initial 5 MWh project using Redflow’s new X10 battery at the Stanwell Future Energy Innovation Training Hub (FEITH) near Rockhampton, Queensland.

Stanwell is wholly owned by the Queensland Government and has a stated strategy to develop alternative technologies and build a renewables portfolio including 9-10 GW of generation and 5 GW of storage by 2035.

Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke said his company saw longer duration energy storage solutions such as Redflow’s as being crucial to meeting customer demand for firmed renewable solutions.

O’Rourke said: “We already have a number of battery storage projects in the pipeline, and this new partnership will ensure the battery technologies deployed in the future are the best fit to serve our communities and customers through our renewable transformation.

“Partnering with an Australian company like Redflow also aligns with our values by creating opportunities for local jobs and investment.”

The feasibility study is scheduled to be completed in early 2025 followed by a decision to proceed with the 5 MWh X10 battery project which is expected to be deployed in the first half of 2026.

Further reading:
The disappointment of overseas production – Lithium Australia (and Redflow)

Picture: Redflow’s ZBM3 zinc-bromine flow battery