Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Aiwanger at CMBlu in Alzenau
Alzenau, February 23, 2023 – The Bavarian State Minister of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, Hubert Aiwanger visited CMblu’s state-of-the-art factory for non-metal-based batteries in Alzenau. The company develops and produces its SolidFlow battery storage systems in Lower Franconia since 2014. The technology stores electricity in organic plastic granules and an organic electrolyte solution which doesn’t use any critical raw materials such as lithium or cobalt. By the end of the year, CMBlu claims that the company will have a local production capacity of hundreds of large storage modules totaling 750 megawatt hours per year. State Minister Aiwanger especially praised the flexibility the storage systems offer by enabling renewable energy to be distributed and used even when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow. Particularly in regard to the controversial grid expansion in Bavaria and the discussion about possibly extending the operating time of nuclear power plants, large battery storage systems would offer good opportunities to successfully shape an energy transition that is mainly based on renewables. On top of that Aiwanger praised CMBlu’s innovative approach to developing a highly efficient and comparatively cheap solution which, contrary to other battery technologies, are based on local supply chains and sustainable materials.
SolidFlow battery storage systems as ideal addition to long-term storage hydrogen
During the conversation with Hubert Aiwanger, CMBlu founder and CEO Dr. Peter Geigle pointed out, that SolidFlow battery storage systems are more suitable than hydrogen for short- and medium-duration storage of large amounts of electricity. Municipal utilities and energy suppliers can utilize these battery storage systems to store renewable energy overgeneration on very sunny or windy days and therefore relieve the load on the grid. “Instead of shutting off wind and solar farms or selling the electricity abroad cheaply, large amounts of green energy could be saved in the SolidFlow batteries for many hours or even days. The energy can then be fed into the grid at night or when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing, for example, or even used to produce green hydrogen for long-term storage”, explains Geigle.
The entrepreneur and Aiwanger agreed that hydrogen and battery-electric energy storage are complementary to and should be promoted equally by politics and industry for a successful energy transition.
“We need more storage capacity across Germany that is open to all technologies. The green energy shall flow in batteries, be converted into hydrogen or used in pumped-storage power plants – anything is better than shutting down wind farms and PV systems at high cost when they are overproducing energy.”
ÜZ Mainfranken another prospect for SolidFlow battery storage systems
Together with representatives from CMBlu Energy State Minister Aiwanger travelled to energy cooperative Energiegenossenschafts ÜZ Mainfranken in Lülsfeld, Germany, after his appointment in Alzenau. The regional energy provider produces the majority of its energy from regenerative sources and has been looking for an ideal solution to store excess electricity for a while now. The solution shall come from close-by CMBlu Energy in Alzenau. With the standard battery modules with an output of 40 kW power and 200 kWh capacity each, it would be possible to store 1 MWh of energy a 10 meter high hall in an area of less than 3 square meters. In a 50 times 50 meter high building, 1.250 SolidFlow battery modules could be placed, including space to manoeuvre.
“These “warehouses for electricity” are highly interesting for energy utility companies. In the future, former power plant locations for fossil energy production could turn into large storage hubs which could continue to use the existing infrastructure and save jobs.”
About CMBlu
CMBlu Energy is a leading designer and manufacturer of safe and sustainable long-duration industrial battery storage systems. CMBlu’s patented Organic SolidFlow™ technology solutions are made of earth-abundant, non-lithium-based raw materials. The technology has significant cost and safety advantages compared to lithium-ion, with a high energy density that takes up less space to affordably provide high power and longer-duration performance. After its operating life, virtually the entire battery system can be disassembled, recycled, or reused. The company aims to manufacture domestically at high volume, delivering energy storage solutions for a range of industrial applications from utility-scale to commercial customers. CMBlu employs over 180 people in Germany and the U.S.
Press contact:
DJM Communication GmbH
Thomas Blumenhoven
Ronsdorfer Straße 55
40233 Düsseldorf, Germany
Cell phone: +49 162 2628 362
E-mail: t.blumenhoven@djm-com.de