Redflow and Trumpf to deliver scalable high-voltage grid-level storage

Australian energy storage company Redflow Limited has integrated bi-directional converters from global electronics manufacturer TRUMPF Hüttinger into its innovative Energy Pod Z scalable modules to deliver large-scale energy storage for major projects.

The first deployment of Redflow’s new Energy Pod Z grid-scale modular architecture is for a 2 MWh energy storage system at a major US bioenergy facility for a global technology leader in recovering value from waste. The project in southern California marks Redflow’s first major project in the US and its largest global deployment to date.

Each Pod-Z module contains 16 Redflow batteries integrated with Trumpf Hüttinger TruConvert bi-directional DC voltage converter/controllers. This integration allows the pods to deliver energy in the 700–900 Vdc range that is needed to construct and operate truly grid-scale energy system deployments.

By using Trumpf Hüttinger power conversion modules to configure each of the 12 pods for a 50 kW high voltage energy throughput, the total system at the California facility will achieve a continuous energy rating of 600kW. The Energy Pod Z architecture using Trumpf dc converters has no limit on the number of Energy Pod Z modules that can be deployed, enabling the architecture to support much larger energy storage sites.

Redflow will benefit from access to Trumpf Hüttinger´s significant presence in the North American market while Trumpf ’s power conversion technology integrated with hardworking heat-tolerant Redflow flow batteries will create a powerful product set to compete in the emerging long-duration energy storage market. California alone expects to deploy between 45 GWh and 55 GWh of long-duration energy storage in the next 25 years in order to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from its electricity sector by 2045.

Trumpf Hüttinger business unit power converter systems head Vivek Singh said Redflow clearly demonstrated the value that flow batteries could deliver in the energy storage ecosystem.

“We see a large potential role for flow batteries now and in the future and Redflow is one of the leading flow battery companies in the world,” he said.

“Another benefit of the project with Redflow is a chance to validate our technology in the field with a company that knows the Australian environment. At the moment, we have strong references from the US and Europe from sites that range from 25 kW to more than 600 kW. The more validation we have in terms of the ease of our scalability in the field, the better it is for us. We think that Australia is the ideal place to show the resilience of our systems.”

Redflow system integration architect Simon Hackett, also Redflow’s largest shareholder, said the Trumpf Hüttinger power conversion technology delivered major benefits in terms of scalability for Redflow batteries.

“Redflow’s partnership with Trumpf Hüttinger opens the door to deliver scalable high-voltage grid-scale deployments of our batteries, with the southern California site being the first deployment of that architecture,” he said.

“The key thing for us is that this Trumpf Hüttinger product line really is designed for flow batteries, and it is capable of delivering massive scale in terms of battery count. Learning to use these products and integrating them with our flow batteries and the Redflow BMS (Battery Management System) has been a really smooth process.”

“These Trumpf Hüttinger products are flexible and designed for clustered deployment, all of which is great for smoothing the integration cycle to meet the needs of large to very large customers. Redflow is entering the high voltage dc energy storage market with a solution that supports our requirement to deploy at scale.”

Redflow managing director and CEO Tim Harris said the collaboration with Trumpf Hüttinger improved the company’s access to both the North American market and large grid-scale deployments.

“We believe using power converters from Trumpf Hüttinger will help us in the emerging long-duration energy storage market,” he said.

“The fact that a global industrial company such as Trumpf Hüttinger has invested in a product that is designed specifically for flow batteries is a significant validation of the growing role that flow batteries are playing in the energy storage market.”

“We believe flow batteries will be of increasing importance to US states such as California, which is pursuing an aggressive renewable energy agenda in order to decarbonise its electric grid by 2045. A recent study commissioned by the California Energy Storage Alliance found California will need to deploy 45-55 GWh of long-duration energy storage to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from its electricity sector by 2045 – more than 150 times the amount of energy storage built in the state since 2010. We see this is an enormously attractive opportunity for Redflow.”

See: https://redflow.com