Western Australia’s Horizon Power has inked a deal with Australian Vanadium Limited subsidiary VSUN Energy to purchase a vanadium flow battery to be installed in Kununurra.
Thee 220kWh vanadium flow battery, which can deliver up to 78kW of power, will be sourced from Invinity Energy Systems.
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Horizon Power CEO Stephanie Unwin said the pilot would support the organisation’s focus on solving the important technical problem of long duration storage and performance in harsh conditions, providing a pathway to reaching its decarbonisation goals.
“Long duration energy storage provides backup power during times of peak demand or when the power supply is interrupted, storing high volumes of excess energy when demand is low and the ability to shift energy storage into the night. It can also minimise the need for costly fossil fuel generation and grid infrastructure upgrades,” Unwin said.
“The vanadium flow battery is specifically designed to deliver large amounts of energy over a long period of time and is temperature resilient, which is critical for our unique regional and remote networks.
“This is an exciting trial which will allow us to increase our understanding of the technology in a regional energy system and its ability to provide long periods of 100% renewable energy.”
Invinity Energy Systems chief commercial officer Matt Harper said, “Due to their durability, safety and reliability, vanadium flow batteries have a vital role to play in reducing the use of fossil fuels in power generation, particularly in remote communities. Invinity is pleased to be supplying this proven and commercialised technology, that has its roots in Australia, for VSUN Energy and Horizon Power who are spearheading the use of alternative-to-lithium batteries in an important market for Invinity.”
The use of long duration energy storage, in the form of vanadium flow batteries, could assist Horizon Power to accelerate the decarbonisation of its energy network, which covers 2.3 million square kilometres.
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The vanadium flow battery will be used for Horizon Power’s long duration energy storage pilot which aims to increase understanding of how this technology can provide long periods of 100% renewable energy supply in regional and remote energy systems across Western Australia.
Site planning and development work is underway, with the battery to be delivered and installed later this year.
