Invinity VS3 battery will be evaluated by Horizon Power, Australia’s largest regional energy provider, for long duration energy storage microgrid projects.
Friday 28 July 2023
Invinity Energy Systems is pleased to announce the sale of a 0.2 MWh Invinity VS3 flow battery system to VSUN Energy (“VSUN”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian Vanadium Limited (ASX: AVL), for use by leading Australian power provider Horizon Power (“Horizon”).
“Long duration energy storage provides backup power during times of peak demand or when the power supply is interrupted, storing high volumes of excess energy when demand is low and the ability to shift energy storage into the night. It can also minimise the need for costly fossil fuel generation and grid infrastructure upgrades.
The VFB is specifically designed to deliver large amounts of energy over a long period of time and is temperature resilient – which is critical for our unique regional and remote networks.
This is an exciting trial which will allow us to increase our understanding of the technology in a regional energy system and its ability to provide long periods of 100% renewable energy.”
– Stephanie Unwin, Chief Executive Officer, Horizon Power
Above: Horizon Power’s service area, Western Australia
The microgrid project will see Horizon, a state government owned energy utility company responsible for generating, procuring, distributing and retailing electricity to residential, industrial and commercial customers across Western Australia, evaluate the role that Invinity’s vanadium flow batteries can play in reducing fossil fuel consumption for distributed electricity networks. Horizon owns and operates 34 microgrids, serving over 100,000 people and more than 10,000 businesses across Western Australia.
“This is the first contracted VFB project for an Australian energy utility. VSUN Energy has been actively pursuing opportunities for VFB deployments and is seeing an increased interest from all energy sectors for this proven, commercialised and effective energy storage technology which uses vanadium at its core. Horizon Power has chosen to be one of the early movers in Australia in support of a technology game changer for the many microgrids in the country. Horizon Power’s support of the VFB technology will also assist AVL and VSUN Energy’s planned vertical integration “pit to battery” strategy. Future VFB projects in Australia will not only be deployed locally, but have significant local content, including AVL’s vanadium electrolyte from its plant which is currently under construction in Wangara, Western Australia.”
– Graham Arvidson, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Vanadium
The battery will be located at a Horizon power site in Kununurra, Western Australia. VSUN will undertake the installation, commissioning and ongoing maintenance of the energy storage system. Delivery is expected to commence in late 2023. The contract was included as part of the Company’s Base category in its most recently disclosed commercial pipeline.
“Due to their durability, safety and reliability, vanadium flow batteries have a vital role to play in reducing the use of fossil fuels in power generation, particularly in remote communities. Invinity is pleased to be supplying our proven and commercialised VFB technology, that has important Australian roots, for VSUN and Horizon Power who are spearheading the use of alternative-to-lithium batteries for energy storage in Australia.”
– Matt Harper, Chief Commercial Officer, Invinity Energy Systems