Redflow Limited‘s scalable, and sustainable zinc-based flow batteries have been funded and approved by the California Energy Commission (CEC) for a large-scale solar and storage project, which will provide power for the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians.
The 20MWh system will be one of the largest zinc-based battery projects in the world and will represent Redflow’s largest single sale and deployment of batteries globally to date.
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With this new 20MWh project, Redflow joins a small number of commercially proven non-lithium storage providers that the CEC is funding, as it looks to compile a robust portfolio of long-duration energy storage projects. The projects represent a key step to help address an estimated 45-55GW of long-duration energy storage required in California by 2045 to support grid reliability and the state’s clean energy transition targets.
The project will be funded by the CEC’s US$140 million long-duration energy storage grant program focused on enabling commercially proven non-lithium energy storage technologies to scale. This follows the 2MWh system in California that Redflow installed for Anaergia in 2022 that has been successfully operating for more than a year.
“This 20MWh project is one of several large-scale opportunities in our pipeline, and represents the next phase of our growth strategy, validating our focus on large-scale systems in the US and Australia,” Redflow CEO and managing director Tim Harris said.
“The market for long-duration energy storage is accelerating. CEC approval firmly establishes our presence in California, which is leading the development and support of non-lithium technologies to achieve its net-zero goals. This project is a great example of US-Australian collaboration in renewable energy and supports the aims of the recent Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Compact, which cites clean energy as the third pillar of the alliance.”
“For this project, Redflow’s battery system is designed to charge from solar and discharge throughout the remainder of the day, reducing grid demand and boosting the energy security of the Paskenta Rancheria,” Harris said.
“We’re proud to be working with our partners in California to deliver our proven zinc-bromine flow battery technology and meet California’s need for longer-duration, scalable, zero-fire-risk energy storage solutions.”
CEC-funded long-duration energy storage projects have often been deployed to benefit underserved communities while helping the state address grid stability and resiliency in extreme weather conditions.
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This solar and storage microgrid will enable the Paskenta Tribe to power operations of the Paskenta Rancheria using a sustainable, resilient renewable energy solution. The project is part of the Tribe’s efforts to achieve greater energy sovereignty through control over their own energy resources, reduce fossil fuel consumption, and assert responsible land stewardship. Faraday Microgrids, a California developer and contractor that has deployed a number of CEC grant-funded microgrid projects, is the grant recipient and project lead.
Redflow will supply 2,000 ZBM3 batteries in its 200kWh modular energy pods, for delivery in 2023 and 2024. Redflow’s zinc-bromine flow technology is capable of providing up to 12 hours of flexible energy capacity for both commercial and utility-scale energy storage applications. The project will further build on Redflow’s portfolio of 250 active deployments and over 3GWh of energy delivered.
