Amazon tests membrane-free redox flow battery from Swiss startup UP

Online retail giant Amazon and long-duration energy storage (LDES) startup UP want to test the latter’s redox flow battery storage technology.

Swiss company UP is part of the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator program and specializes in membrane-free redox flow batteries. Unlike lithium-ion devices, redox flow batteries do not require critical raw materials. They are also easy to scale and are considered a cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion, especially for large battery storage systems.

There are few redox flow battery suppliers, however.

UP’s energy storage solution is intended to help Amazon supply its logistics centers entirely with renewable energy, the companies said.

Amazon will offer feedback, troubleshooting, and opportunities for UP to improve its technology via a pilot project.

The pilot

“After the project is completed, Amazon will evaluate the environmental impact, financial viability, and overall effectiveness of the pilot projects to determine whether they can be expanded to other Amazon locations as part of a long-term partnership,” said the retailer.

UP Chief Executive David Taylor said, “There could be no better partnership for our market entry than the pilot with Amazon. The advantages of our battery solution can perfectly match Amazon’s storage needs. Compared to conventional redox flow batteries, our membrane-free system enables lower-maintenance operation despite significantly lower investment costs.”

UP, which was spun out of Swiss public research body ETH Zurich, wants to ramp its technology to an industrial scale.

“The need for long-lasting storage solutions in the logistics sector is huge,” added Taylor. “Amazon, as the world’s largest commerce provider, offers the ideal environment to extensively test and further optimize our battery technology.”

The start-up’s solution differs fundamentally in design from other redox flow batteries because it regulates ion exchange via immiscible electrolytes – which do not form a homogenous mixture when mixed – instead of a membrane. UP says this makes its battery more durable and requires 90% fewer sealing surfaces.

Redox flow batteries are considered non-flammable and, therefore, do not require minimum distances around them for fire safety purposes. The technology could become more efficient as it is scaled up, according to UP.

From pv magazine Deutschland.