contact@jenabatteries.de
With our metal-free redox flow battery, we are shaping the future of tomorrow and making an important contribution to the energy revolution.
Our flow battery
The battery – metal-free,
clean, safe
The future is a carbon-neutral society. This vision is what drives us. For the energy transition to succeed, we need to find a sustainable storage solution for surplus renewable energy.
The metal-free redox flow battery is our answer. With this innovative storage solution, we have developed an alternative to conventional systems, such as lithium-ion batteries and metal-containing redox flow batteries.
Because our flow battery is metal-free, it does not require any critical raw materials produced under unethical labour practices. The mining of battery metals also often causes environmental damage. Our flow battery is thus environmentally friendly and all its components can be entirely produced in Europe.
Advantages
Simple and safe
- Non-flammable, non-explosive
- Turnkey energy storage system
- Low maintenance
- Operable off-grid
Clean
- Saline solution as electrolyte
- No heavy metals
- No aggressive acids
- Resource-efficient and recyclable
Scalable
- External energy storage
- Power: 100 kW to >2 MW
- Capacity: 400 kWh to >10 MWh
Economical
- Low-cost resources feedstocks
- Producible in Europe
- No risk of supply shortage
- High planning security
- Long service life > 10,000 cycles
Functionality
Saline solution
as storage medium
Redox flow batteries are electrochemical energy storage devices. Redox flow is short for:
Reduction = electrons are bound
Oxidation = electrons are released
Flow = liquid storage medium
And this is how it works:
- Two tanks hold a saline solution, each containing different organic (metal-free) storage materials which function as the anode and cathode.
- Charging and discharging is achieved by pumping the saline solution through a cell.
- Through this process, electrons are bound and released – electricity is stored.
The result: The battery’s power and capacity can be scaled independently of one another. The amount of electrolyte determines the capacity of the flow battery, while the surface area and number of the cells determine its power.
Technology comparison
An alternative
to lithium-ion batteries
Companies around the globe are creating new and improved battery solutions.
Most of them are currently focused on lithium-ion technology in electric mobility. Redox flow batteries are a flexible, stationary alternative to lithium-ion batteries – durable and easily scaled up to megawatt storage.
Redox flow batteries are being developed by various consortia in Europe, Asia and the Americas. JenaBatteries is a pioneer in the field.
By not using metals in the storage material, the redox flow battery from JenaBatteries is safer and more sustainable than the conventional metal-containing redox flow battery. The metal-free, low-maintenance redox flow battery from JenaBatteries is perfect for applications with high technical safety requirements. Thanks to its innovative raw material base and low price volatility, it promises planning security for modern energy infrastructures.
Lead acid battery | Lithium-ion battery | Vanadium-based-RFB | JenaBatteries-RFB | |
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Availability of raw materials |
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Substitutability of raw materials |
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No thermal runaway |
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Fire safety |
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No development of flammable gases |
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Easy maintenance |
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Scalability |
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Long lifetime |
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Stationary application |
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Mobile application |
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Purchase price |
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Low costs over lifetime |
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“Leading in the commercialization of organic flow batteries”
Lux Research on JenaBatteries
Product vision
Storage as modular system
BASIS – The calculable energy storage for your energy park
BASIS is our smallest battery module within a container-based modular system. Battery systems from 400 kWh up to high MWh ranges are possible and can be adapted to the individual needs of industrial users. The site requirements for installation are low; a simple concrete foundation is sufficient. As a result of the intrinsic fire safety of our water-based electrolyte, the flow battery can be installed even in critical locations. It can easily be integrated into existing grid environments by means of a flexible control system (BMS). Additional modules allow black start and island operation. If required, special versions are available which, owing to a stacking concept, only take up minimum space. The system is robust and designed for a service life of 20 years.
Demo projects
The flow battery
in practice
The most recent project was completed in 2019: A smart grid has been set up in the Netherlands on the ACRRES test site as part of the EU-funded EnergyKeeper project. JenaBatteries’ metal-free redox flow battery with a capacity of 100 kWh is at the heart of the smart grid.
The project aims to test the intelligent integration of private households’ and commercial businesses’ renewable energy production, storage and consumption under real conditions.
Research and industry partners from Germany, Lithuania, Spain, Israel and Italy are collaborating on this project, funded by the EU programme Horizon 2020 (funding code 731239).