Better batteries

Redflow, the Australian provider of energy storage flow batteries, has announced that it has decreased its zincbromide battery (ZBM) cost by 50 per cent through technology improvements and a stronger manufacturing relationship with Flextronics. The company is now able to offer its naked ZBM product at a cost of $20c per kWh throughput, down from $48c just six months ago. With this dramatic reduction, energy from Redflow’s ZBM product drops below grid price.

Redflow has already outsourced the majority of the manufacturing process for its key product, the ZBM, to global scalable manufacturing specialist Flextronics in North America. The ZBM electrode, which is currently still being manufactured in Brisbane, will now also be outsourced to Flextronics.

Following substantial R&D work over the last 12 months, Redflow has started the transition to the use of its latest electrode surface coating, ACN13, in its production batteries. The use of ACN13 in production will be integrated with the outsourcing of electrode manufacturing to Flextronics. In-house testing has shown a substantial improvement in physical operating characteristics and projected lifetime thanks to the new materials.

To allow for the full outsourcing to be completed efficiently, and to maximise the benefits of the transition to ACN13, the production rate of ZBM products by Flextronics will be substantially reduced until the full electrode outsourcing process is concluded. Operating cost reductions in Brisbane have been realised with manufacturing in Brisbane reducing.