Based on preliminary discussions with potential off-takers for the 100MWh CERENERGY(R) battery project, the proposed battery module for 10 kilowatt-hours (KWh) has been superseded by a 60 kilowatt-hour (KWh) battery pack (ABS60) rated at a higher voltage of 620 volts and 100 amp hour (Ah). A video of the battery design can be seen on Altech web site www.altechchemicals.com or visit:
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On 14 September 2022, Altech announced a JV Agreement with world-leading German battery institute Fraunhofer IKTS (“Fraunhofer”) to commercialise Fraunhofer’s revolutionary CERENERGY(R) Sodium Alumina Solid State (SAS) Battery. Altech, together with associated Altech Advanced Material AG, will be the majority owner at 75% of the JV company, which will commercialise a 100 MWh project to be constructed on Altech’s land in Schwarze Pumpe, Germany. CERENERGY(R) batteries are the gamechanging grid storage alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
CERENERGY(R) batteries are fire and explosionproof; have a life span of more than 15 years and operate in extreme cold and desert climates. The battery technology uses table salt and is lithium-free; cobalt-free; graphite-free; and copper-free, eliminating exposure to critical metal price rises and supply chain concerns. The Altech-Fraunhofer joint venture is developing a 100 MWh SAS battery plant (Train 1) on Altech’s site in Saxony, Germany specifically focussed on the grid (stationary) energy storage market The ABS60 battery pack will consist of 240 CERENERGY(R) cells (rated at 2.5 V each) arranged in 4 rows of 12 cells, and 5 cell modules high. The battery packs will have a dimension of 2.6m high, 0.4m long and 1.0m in width. The packs are designed for Ingress Protection (IP) 65 standard (levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures) which means that they will be dust and weatherproof. The battery packs can be installed outdoors in all weather conditions.
Since the CERENERGY(R) batteries can operate at a very wide temperature range, minus (-) 40 deg C to plus (+) 60 deg C, the battery pack will be ideal for the cold European climates. In addition, being fire-proof, the ABS60 battery packs will be safe to installed indoors where lithium-ion batteries are prohibited.
The benefit of the larger ABS60 battery pack is that it will allow more efficient installation in renewable energy storage and grid storage applications. The larger packs will reduce module assembly casing and connecting costs. There is a cost advantage of using one Battery Management System (BMS) processor versus six BMS processors for the previously envisaged individual 10 KWh modules. The fuse and disconnectors will also be reduced by the same factor for a larger 60 KWh battery.
The battery plant will now be designed to produce ABS60 battery packs as a standard product to meet Europe’s renewable energy and grid storage market. Fraunhofer have previously estimated that the cost of producing CERENERGY(R) batteries should be in the region of 40% cheaper than lithium-ion batteries, primarily due to not requiring lithium, graphite, copper or cobalt. This will be confirmed in the Bankable Feasibility Study that Altech is currently undertaking.
Renewable energy is being deployed around the globe. A new report shows renewable energy sources were used to meet the rise in global electricity demand in the first half of 2022. Forecast reports also show that the grid storage market is expected to grow by 28% CAGR in the coming decades. The global battery energy storage systems market is expected to grow from USD 4.4 billion in 2022 to USD 15.1 billion by 2027. Or further out, growth is expected from 20 GW in 2020 to over 3,000 GW by 2050. SAS batteries can provide high security at low acquisition and operating costs for stationary energy storage market.
Combining wind and solar with battery storage offers many advantages. The Wheatridge Renewable Energy Project in Oregon is a typical example of how combining renewable energy sources with battery storage can help provide reliable, sustainable energy as utility companies look to reduce carbon emissions.
In these kind of applications, large battery systems are installed close to solar and wind farms. Typically, lithium-ion batteries have largely been used by utilities to store renewable energy when the sun sets or the wind stops blowing. However, existing utility-scale storage can only discharge energy for up to four hours at a time, meaning that systems aren’t able to provide widespread power for a longer period of time (eg: over the night period). There is a need for middle and long-duration batteries that provide sustained power for longer periods.
Altech’s CERENERGY(R) ABS60 battery packs are designed to fill this gap. The newly designed Altech ABS60 battery packs are expected to take approximately 6 hours to charge and discharged over a similar period. However, they have the capacity to discharge quicker, in less than 3 hours if required. These battery packs’ charging and discharge characteristics match closely the power generation patterns of the sun. The Altech design team will be advancing heat transfer modelling and optimising insulation design next.
*To view photographs, please visit:
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About Altech Chemicals Ltd:
Altech Chemicals Limited (ASX:ATC) (FRA:A3Y) is aiming to become one of the world’s leading suppliers of 99.99% (4N) high purity alumina (Al2O3) through the construction and operation of a 4,500tpa high purity alumina (HPA) processing plant at Johor, Malaysia. Feedstock for the plant will be sourced from the Company’s 100%-owned kaolin deposit at Meckering, Western Australia and shipped to Malaysia.
HPA is a high-value, high margin and highly demanded product as it is the critical ingredient required for the production of synthetic sapphire. Synthetic sapphire is used in the manufacture of substrates for LED lights, semiconductor wafers used in the electronics industry, and scratch-resistant sapphire glass used for wristwatch faces, optical windows and smartphone components. Increasingly HPA is used by lithium-ion battery manufacturers as the coating on the battery’s separator, which improves performance, longevity and safety of the battery. With global HPA demand approximately 19,000t (2018), it is estimated that this demand will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% (2018-2028); by 2028 HPA market demand will be approximately 272,000t, driven by the increasing adoption of LEDs worldwide as well as the demand for HPA by lithium-ion battery manufacturers to serve the surging electric vehicle market.
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