New zealand vanadium battery energy storage

Who is launching New Zealand's largest battery energy storage system?

WEL Networks and Infratec are proud to announce the launch of New Zealand’s largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with commissioning underway.

Are vanadium redox flow batteries the future?

Called a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB), it's cheaper, safer and longer-lasting than lithium-ion cells. Here's why they may be a big part of the future — and why you may never see one. In the 1970s, during an era of energy price shocks, NASA began designing a new type of liquid battery.

Which energy company is building New Zealand's first grid-connected battery energy storage system?

Meridian Energy is building New Zealand’s first large-scale grid-connected battery energy storage system (BESS) at Ruakākā on North Island Paris, January 10, 2023 – Saft, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies, has been awarded a major contract by Meridian Energy to construct New Zealand’s first large-scale grid-connected BESS.

Why are vanadium batteries more expensive than lithium-ion batteries?

As a result, vanadium batteries currently have a higher upfront cost than lithium-ion batteries with the same capacity. Since they're big, heavy and expensive to buy, the use of vanadium batteries may be limited to industrial and grid applications.

Does vanadium degrade?

First, vanadium doesn’t degrade. “If you put 100 grams of vanadium into your battery and you come back in 100 years, you should be able to recover 100 grams of that vanadium — as long as the battery doesn’t have some sort of a physical leak,” says Brushett.

Will a 100-megawatt solar farm improve New Zealand's national grid?

Located at Ruakākā in the country’s North Island, the 100-megawatt (MW) BESS will improve the stability of the national grid, as intermittent renewable power generation increases in New Zealand. The BESS is the first stage of a project that will include the construction of a co-located 130 MW solar farm by Meridian Energy.