From pv magazine global
EnerVenue, a U.S. nickel-hydrogen battery startup that launched at the height of the pandemic in summer 2020, has signed a master supply agreement with Green Energy Renewable Solutions, under which the latter will procure and supply 250 MWh of batteries over the next three years.
The company will deliver 50 MWh of capacity in 2023, 100 MWh in 2024, and 100 MWh in 2025. Green Energy’s parent company, Nicon Industries A/S – a manufacturer of steel and aluminum in the wind, offshore, and maritime industry – aims to build 1 GW of storage projects within the three-year period, according to a company statement.
“EnerVenue’s technology features exceptional longevity and durability with minimal maintenance required, and its fire-safe properties are especially critical in our expected applications,” said Henrik Jensen, CEO of Nicon Industries.
EnerVenue claims that its nickel-hydrogen batteries have lifespans of more than 30 years, through more than 30,000 cycles without experiencing degradation, along with overcharge, over-discharge, and deep-cycle capabilities. The company also claims costs per kilowatt-hour as low as a penny, as well as capital expenditure costs that beat lithium-ion batteries.
Unlike lithium-ion, metal-hydrogen batteries excel operating in conditions of extreme heat and extreme cold, the company claims. The solution operates optimally in ambient temperatures from -40 F to 140 F (60 C). Because of this, the battery purportedly comes with no risk of fire or thermal runaway and includes no toxic materials, making it recyclable.
These properties are especially crucial for safety and compliance in maritime and offshore projects, where Nicon plans to deploy the storage solutions over the long term. The batteries will initially be deployed onshore, for large construction and heavy industry projects, packaged into customized building blocks. The solutions will have to meet DNV certification and CE certification mandates to be deployed in the offshore and maritime market.
“By 2024, Nicon’s forklifts will be converted from fossil fuel to electric power and will be charged with Green Energy battery containers,” said Jens Juul, COO of Nicon. “Additionally, the power needed for our sea fastenings jobs on wind installation vessels will be supplied from our own battery containers charged overnight with renewable energy coming from the wind farms.”
In June, EnerVenue agreed to provide 460 MWh of its batteries to Sonnell Power Solutions for large-scale renewable and storage applications in Puerto Rico. In May, Pine Gate purchased 2.4 GWh of the company’s batteries. In spring 2021, the company signed its first major distribution agreement with Hong Kong’s Towngas.
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Sounds like a game-changer. I’d think they would want to compete with Tesla and build big utility scale batteries for solar and wind grid storage. Maybe they will.