Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) is a class of technologies that store energy and dispatch it as power, heat, or cooling for extended periods, typically ranging from 8 hours to days, weeks, or even entire seasons. While lithium-ion batteries are common for shorter needs, LDES technologies are distinct because they offer a low marginal capital cost for adding energy capacity, meaning the cost per added hour of duration is significantly lower than that of traditional sealed batteries.
The rapid transition to clean energy sources, such as wind and solar, creates a fundamental need to balance the supply and demand for energy throughout the day and night. LDES serves as a critical enabler for deep decarbonization and grid reliability by capturing surplus renewable energy that would otherwise be curtailed. Its value is most apparent during extended grid stress events, such as multi-day weather impacts or fuel supply disruptions, where shorter-duration resources are quickly exhausted. This is highly relevant to support Singapore’s ambition in importing energies from neighbouring countries.
This talk will illustrate why the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) can be one of the contentious technologies for LDES. A VRFB stores energy in two separate tanks of liquid electrolytes containing vanadium ions in different oxidation states. During operation, these electrolytes are pumped into a cell stack where they are separated by an ion-exchange membrane that allows ions to flow while preventing the solutions from mixing. A unique technical feature of VRFBs is the decoupling of power and energy: the system’s power capacity is determined by the size of the cell stack, while its energy storage capacity is determined solely by the volume of the electrolyte in the tanks.
VRFBs offer several advantages that make them a superior candidate for long-duration applications:
– Safety and Stability: The aqueous-based chemistry is non-flammable and thermally safe, allowing large systems to be placed close together without fire hazards.
– Longevity and Durability: VRFBs can last more than 20 years with a near-limitless cycle life, and they do not lose storage capacity even when sitting idle for long periods.
– Sustainability: The vanadium electrolyte is infinitely recyclable, supporting a circular economy blueprint similar to the lead-battery industry.
– Fast Response: They can be brought to full power in subseconds, providing both energy management and fast grid stabilization.
VRFBs are versatile and support a variety of real-world use cases:
– Renewable Integration: Balancing intermittent wind and solar generation to provide a "firm" power supply.
– Critical Infrastructure: Providing reliable backup power for institutions where continuity is critical, such as hospitals and military bases.
– Data Centers: Managing volatile compute loads and offering safe, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).
– Microgrids and Resiliency: Serving as the core of resiliency centers that provide essential services during extended grid outages.
The purpose of this talk is to bring awareness to practicing engineers an alternative and established energy storage solution.
Speaker(s): Dr LOH Wai Kuan ,
Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/555806
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