Alzenau, September 27, 2022 – In view of the ongoing energy crisis, CMBlu Energy AG, manufacturer of organic solid-flow batteries, is stressing the huge importance of large-scale electricity storage systems that can be used to store excess energy in times of strong production or weak demand in the short to medium term. “The natural gas intended as a transitional technology in the course of the energy transition is currently only available to a limited extent and is very expensive. At the same time, however, demand for electricity is increasing – due alone to the switch to e-mobility that is now under way or the rise in the number of heat pumps being installed,” explains Dr. Peter Geigle, founder and CEO of CMBlu. Accordingly, excess energy, particularly from renewable sources, must be increasingly stored on a temporary basis so that it can be released again, if necessary. Load peaks in the grid could thus also be cut and renewable energies brought closer to the goal of being able to meet baseload demand.
The aim for greater sustainability: To make green electricity available day and night
On particularly sunny and windy days, renewable energies are already able to cover a region’s entire electricity demand at peak times. However, when the number of windless, foggy days increases in the fall (known as a Dunkelflaute or “dark doldrums”), demand cannot even come close to being met by renewable energies. During such times, conventional power plants have to step in, which in turn has a negative effect on the carbon footprint and – in view of the phaseout of nuclear power and the gas shortage – brings with it an additional challenge as well as rising electricity costs. CMBlu’s large-scale storage systems can be used as an alternative sustainable solution here. They make it possible to store energy volumes extending up to the gigawatt-hour range over several days, which can then be fed into the grid as required. “Electricity generated in a very sunny or windy region, for example, can primarily be collected in our large-scale organic storage systems and released whenever it is needed. This stabilizes the electricity supply from renewable sources, increases their ability to meet baseload demand, and, in the ideal scenario, cuts electricity costs,” explains Dr. Peter Geigle.
Reducing dependency on energy sources, raw materials, and supply chains
CMBlu’s large-scale storage systems play a key role in reducing dependency on fossil fuels and increasing the share of green electricity in the grid. The output and capacity of organic solid-flow batteries are independently scalable up to the gigawatt range and can thus be flexibly adapted to an ever-increasing demand for electricity due to the expansion of e-mobility or the increased production of hydrogen using electrolysis, for example. Unlike conventional battery technologies, organic solid-flow batteries are safe – because they are not combustible or explosive – and sustainable, since the materials required for production are available worldwide in virtually unlimited quantities. There is neither dependency on supply chains nor on rare or conflict minerals and all core components as well as almost all parts of the battery are recyclable. CMBlu’s storage solutions for residential quarters, industrial companies, municipalities, or entire regions could therefore bring about a significantly higher degree of independence. In the best-case scenario, they could even facilitate a completely self-sufficient energy supply.
One flagship project in this regard is the cooperation between CMBlu and the state of Burgenland in Austria with the aim of achieving complete energy self-sufficiency by 2030 through the use of organic solid-flow energy storage systems with a total of about 300 megawatt-hours – currently the largest planned energy storage project in Europe. The idea behind a recently announced cooperation with the power plant operator Uniper is to qualify the technology for a wide range of applications and for use in the power grid.
About CMBlu
Ever since CMBlu Energy AG was founded in 2014, the company based in the Rhein-Main region has been developing organic solid-flow batteries. It is now one of the world’s largest developers of non-lithium-based energy storage systems in the multi-megawatt range. CMBlu employs over 150 people, 100 of whom are involved in research and development. With the impending market launch of its energy storage systems, the company is clearly on course for growth.
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