Regional energy supplier for Western Australia, Horizon Energy, has purchased a vanadium redox flow battery for an energy storage pilot situated in Kununurra.
Horizon Power is the first Australian regional energy utility to purchase a vanadium redox flow battery and has signed an agreement with VSUN Energy, a subsidiary of Australian Vanadium Limited, for the purchase, installation and commissioning of the battery.
The 78kW/220kWh battery will enable Horizon Power to test the capabilities of providing long periods of 100 per cent renewable energy, with the potential for it to be used across WA.
State Minister for Energy, Bill Johnston, said that vanadium batteries are crucial for the state to reduce decarbonisation.
“Vanadium redox flow batteries are specifically designed to deliver energy over a long period of time, which is crucial for achieving the high levels of decarbonisation we are after.
“This is another example of Horizon Power leading the way when it comes to utilising cutting-edge, clean energy technology,” Mr Johnston said.
The temperature resilient and long duration capacity vanadium batteries can store high volumes of excess energy and provide backup power during the peak times of demand or when power supply is interrupted as well as minimising the need for costly fossil fuel generation and grid infrastructure upgrades.
The technology within the vanadium batteries has the potential to help provide long-term solutions for microgrids and off-grid power systems which will work with the pilot, helping provide key findings around how the technology can be integrated into Horizon Power’s network.
“If the pilot is successful, there is potential to expand the use of long-duration, 100 per cent renewable energy across Horizon Power’s 2.3 million square-kilometre network,” Mr Johnston said.
The battery is expected to arrive in Perth during the early months of 2024 and after successful testing, will later be transported to Kununurra.
