Growth in renewable energy sources need new technologies to maximise their contribution to lower carbon emissions.

As we add more renewable energy to our networks, we can also encounter intermittent generation problems. Storing energy from these sources in new large battery devices could provide an attractive solution, if their cost and physical size can be reduced.

To overcome the performance and capacity limitations of the current storage technologies, we're investigating an innovative new concept featuring the flow cell battery concept, which is designed to facilitate more renewable and distributed generation.

We're working to identify possible applications for the flow cell, which has been pioneered by the University of Southampton.

Pilot project with commercial potential

The work is part of a collaborative venture sponsored by the UK Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR). It aims to produce cells with proven chemical and materials engineering, which can be used in a laboratory-sized pilot plant, and then if successful adapted for commercial use.

Our own contribution is to research and identify the best technologies for connecting these large batteries within the supply network, researching their interaction with renewable sources of energy and evaluating the potential impact they may have on future electricity markets.

Reduced investment and operating costs

The flow battery uses a development of lead acid technology, which gives significant advantages over competing technologies, and potentially lower investment costs.