Belgium’s Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten present at official launch of the project in Aalst, Belgium.
Wednesday 27 March 2024
Invinity Energy Systems is pleased to announce that partners ENGIE, Equans and Jan De Nul have officially launched a first project featuring Invinity’s Vanadium Flow Battery (“VFB”) technology at Jan De Nul’s headquarters in Aalst, Belgium. The inauguration event, held on 27 March was attended by Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten, the CEOs of ENGIE Belgium, Equans Belux and Jan De Nul, and Invinity’s Chairman Neil O’Brien.
Above: Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten and the CEOs of partners ENGIE Belgium, Equans BeLux and Jan De Nul switch on the VFB system at the official launch.
The project features a 0.8 MWh Invinity VS3 battery collocated with a 0.6 MWp solar array in an industrial setting. Invinity’s batteries will be used to maximise the use of solar power at the site by storing excess generation during the day for use in the evening. The batteries will be controlled by ENGIE’s smart Energy Management System (EMS) as part of the first industrial test of this combination of technologies. The three partners expect the project to advance their understanding of how VFBs can be incorporated into future projects as a sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
“Jan De Nul are building the energy transition and invest fully in innovation. We install wind farms and interconnectors, we redevelop historic pollution into sources of sustainable energy. And with this project, we are one step further towards sustainable business management. Together with our continued investment into PV installations and the electrification of our vehicle fleet, this Redox Flow Battery will enable us to better balance supply and demand on this site. We investigate and learn how this type of application can be deployed more widely on our sites and in our operations in Belgium and all over the world. At Jan De Nul, we have loads of ambitious targets for GHG emissions with initiatives such as the CO2 Performance Ladder, Science-Based Targets and the Carbon Disclosure Project. It has always been Jan De Nul’s vision and ambition to play a pioneering role in the energy transition”
– Julie De Nul, Chief Executive Officer, Jan De Nul
“We have taken care of the conceptual study, the tender process and the integration of the different modules, and we will also be responsible for the maintenance of the battery system during the 4-year test period. Equans are experts in assisting their clients in the areas of energy transition, industrial and digital transition. We see the Redox Flow battery technology as a sustainable, robust and future-proof solution, and we are particularly proud that we can take part in this first industrial-scale trial”
– Mark Dirckx, Chief Executive Officer, Equans BeLux
Above: Invinity’s Jean-Louis Cols (second from left) showing guests the inside of the installed vanadium flow battery at the Jan De Nul site, Aalst, Belgium.
“As pioneers in the energy transition, we look beyond the well-known Lithium-Ion battery and we dare to choose innovation. Currently, there are still very few examples in Europe of large-scale projects with Redox Flow batteries. This pilot project puts Belgium in the spotlight as a frontrunner in innovation in the energy sector. We want to play a major part in energy storage with the ambition to develop 10GW storage capacity by 2030 worldwide”
– Vincent Verbeke, Chief Executive Officer, ENGIE Belgium
Vanadium Flow batteries as potential alternative for Lithium-Ion batteries
The project partners view vanadium flow batteries as an innovative technology that is currently mature enough technically and commercially to play a major part in the energy transition. VFBs can be deployed as a replacement for or complement to Lithium-Ion batteries for local renewable energy production on industrial sites or in centralised setups. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, vanadium flow batteries have a lifespan of at least 25 years, a capacity that ages very little over time and a natural storage capacity of several hours. Moreover, they are safer, because there is no risk of thermal runaway, and are therefore more suitable for hotter climates, and they can be recycled more easily at the end of their lifecycle.
“I’m delighted that energy industry leaders such as ENGIE, Equans and Jan De Nul are increasingly looking beyond lithium-ion for their energy storage needs. Our safe and reliable technology has an important role to play in unlocking low-cost, low-carbon energy for all and providing a sustainable path for advancing progress towards net zero. We at Invinity are very much looking forward to collaborating on future projects with these great partners both in Europe and further afield.”
– Neil O’Brien, Chairman, Invinity Energy Systems
Read the partner press release here (in French)
About Laborelec (part of ENGIE Research & Innovation)
Laborelec, a unit of the ENGIE Group, is a leading expertise and research centre in electrical energy. They offer operational assistance, technical advice and applied R&D services, relying on the skills of 375 specialised engineers and technicians. The business is active throughout the electricity value chain. Their services support a wide range of customers in the areas of energy generation, transmission, distribution, storage and end-use, with a particular focus on energy transition and net zero carbon. Laborelecare currently part of the ENGIE Research & Innovation division. They are world leaders with activities in more than 60 countries and offices in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Latin America and the Middle-East.
About Jan De Nul
Jan De Nul Group is a family business operating worldwide that solves complex challenges of our modern society. Our talented people develop sustainable solutions and contribute towards the energy transition and secure the future for the coming generations.
Our expertise is based on five main activities: offshore energy, dredging and marine construction works, civil engineering works, environmental activities and project development. We enable the production of offshore energy and keep waterways deep. We build new harbours and create extra land. We achieve complex infrastructure works and realise buildings of any type. We fight pollution in all its forms. From design and engineering to realisation and maintenance, we “unburden” our clients with total solutions combining one, several or even all these activities.
About Equans
Equans are world leaders in the energy and service sector. The business is active in 20 countries spread over five continents. It employs 95,000 people and makes an annual turnover of 18.8 billion Euros. Equans design, install and provide tailor-made solutions optimising installations, systems and technical processes, while making them more user-friendly. The business helps its customers in their industrial, digital and energy transition. Equans distinguish themselves through their strong local presence, their historic local brands and their pool of highly qualified experts and advanced technical knowhow. The company supports towns, industries and buildings in the fields of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), cooling and fire safety, facility management, digital and ICT, electrotechnics, mechanics and robotics. Equans are the market leader in major European countries (France, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom) and they also have a strong presence in the USA and Latin America. Equans are part of the Bouygues Group.
About Equans BeLux
In Belgium and Luxemburg, Equans customers can rely on almost 80 years of knowhow and experience in a wide range of technical services. With 9,900 workers distributed over more than 56 sites, we have strong local roots and we are always close to our customers. In 2023, Equans BeLux generated a turnover of 2.2 billion Euros.