- With the growing expansion of photovoltaics and wind power, cost-effective long-duration energy storage (LDES) is becoming increasingly important for a secure power supply.
- Iron-salt batteries are a promising LDES technology, and German specialist VoltStorage has now reported progress in its development work.
“The positive development stages, tests and measurements so far, as well as the international recognition from science and industry, underpin the overall concept of the technology,” says the company. VoltStorage is now pushing ahead with further patent applications.
The next development phase will involve a 20-fold increase in performance, the implementation of fully automated test systems, an expanded battery health management system, a defined form factor concept and a higher technology readiness level (TRL), says the company. In addition, the start of product definition is now planned for the next stage.
“We are already in discussions with potential partners to define solution concepts tailored to their specific needs,” explained Jakob Bitner, co-founder and CEO of VoltStorage. “These include energy suppliers and large industrial companies that are looking for cost-effective, sustainable and secure LDES solutions that will enable them to improve the production and use of renewable energy.”
At the next stage, development work will be carried out in parallel on different test stands in order to increase speed and collect more test data. One so-called development stand will concentrate on operation with multiple battery cells, while another will be equipped with a cell that is three times larger. The work will be carried out at VoltStorage’s site in Munich.
“We are confident that we will remain on schedule with the development of our iron salt battery and that, through continuous progress, we will ultimately be able to create a reliable and efficient LDES solution for the renewable energy market,” said Verena Graf, CTO of VoltStorage.
Author: Sandra Enkhardt
This article was originally published in pv magazine and is republished with permission.
