Horizon powers up vanadium battery tech trial in Kununurra
pv magazine
Western Australia’s state-owned regional energy provider Horizon Power has officially launched the trial of a vanadium flow battery in the state’s north as it investigates how to integrate long-duration energy storage into its network, microgrids, and other off-grid power systems.
Horizon Power Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Unwin said this is the first time vanadium flow technology has been tested in WA and if successful, it will be a real game changer for clean and reliable energy for regional and remote communities.
“Kununurra, with its hot and humid climate, is a challenging environment for battery energy storage,” she said. “Piloting the vanadium flow battery in these extreme conditions will help us to learn more about its capabilities and the potential for it to be effectively integrated into our network, much of which is subject to extreme temperatures.”
The 220 kWh battery has been sourced from United Kingdom-based manufacturer Invinity Energy Systems but supplied by Perth-headquartered company VSUN Energy, a subsidiary of Australian Vanadium Limited (AVL), which has handled the installation and commissioning.