Honeywell, Duke Energy partner on flow battery test project

Honeywell, a prominent technology company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, announced that it has developed a new flow battery technology intended for pairing with wind and solar resources. The company has partnered with Duke Energy to field test the product.

Honeywell’s battery uses a safe, non-flammable electrolyte that converts chemical energy to electricity to store energy for later use. The solution can store and discharge electricity for up to 12 hours, according to Honeywell. If proven, the battery would provide the system with another distinct advantage over traditional lithium-ion batteries, which currently can discharge up to four hours.

The battery is also comprised of entirely recyclable components. It is touted by Honeywell as being immune to degradation over long periods of use, a paramount issue for all battery storage chemistries and technologies.

According to Honeywell, the flow battery can be combined with the company’s Experion PKS business and asset management, system, and its enterprise performance management solution, Honeywell Forge, for remote monitoring.

In 2022 Honeywell plans to deliver a 400 kWh unit to Duke Energy’s Emerging Technology and Innovation Center in Mount Holly, North Carolina, to determine if the technology is viable for use at scale. Duke will need to make commitments to deploying storage at scale if it hopes to achieve its goals of a 50% reduction of carbon emissions versus 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

According to a Duke representative, the utility plans to install almost 400 MW of battery storage capacity in its service territory over the next five years, though it is unclear if this refers to it’s North Carolina Service area, or total southeast service area including South Carolina and Florida. The representative also added that Duke has a keen interest in breakthrough technologies, like this flow battery.