An Edmonton-based company innovating flow battery technology for energy storage this month announced the launch of multiple “key pilot projects.”
Alberta’s Aqua-Cell Energy says the pilots are designed to demonstrate the reliability and scalability of its flow battery systems.
As electricity demand increases, mass amounts of energy storage will be needed to support grid infrastructure for a stable supply. The Aqua-Cell battery aims to this demand using a salt-water chemistry that can provide a stable energy source at scale, according to its founders.
The launch of the projects is being supported by Alberta Innovates.
“These pilot projects are an exciting milestone for Aqua-Cell as we work to validate our technology in real-world energy environments,” remarked Keith Cleland, chief executive officer of Aqua-Cell Energy.
The pilot projects include an installation in Medicine Hat as part of the Energy Innovation Challenge—co-hosted by Decentralised Energy Canada and the City of Medicine Hat. This project will feature Aqua-Cell’s first shipping container-sized battery for long-duration energy storage.
“The successful installation and operation of our first shipping container-sized battery will demonstrate that our flow battery technology works long-term and can operate autonomously, meeting the critical energy needs for electric distribution utilities,” Cleland stated.
The Canadian cleantech is also working with Alberta utilities, with funding from Alberta Innovates’ Clean Energy program, to scale its battery technology for upcoming pilot deployments.
The pilot projects will generate “valuable performance data,” according to Ellsworth Bell, a cofounder of Aqua-Cell.
“Field pilots allow us to validate our technology under real-world conditions,” explains Bell, who serves Aqua-Cell Energy as chief of tech. “They are an important step in maturing our product and bringing low-cost, long-duration energy storage to market.”
Founded in 2020, Aqua-Cell has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Startups in Edmonton by Scale Up Canada.