Industrial-scale test of Vanadium Flow batteries, as an alternative for Lithium-Ion batteries
Partnership in the energy transition between Jan De Nul, ENGIE and Equans.
Brussels, 27 March 2024 – Jan De Nul, ENGIE and Equans launch a pilot project centred around the use of Vanadium Redox Flow batteries on industrial scale. This type of battery, which is still relatively unknown to the general public, could become a safe and sustainable complement to the widely-used lithium-ion battery. The three businesses will investigate how these batteries can optimise power management in an industrial environment, and how they can represent an added value in the transition towards a carbon-free economy. The official launch of the project took place in the presence of the Minister for Energy, Tinne Van der Straeten.
Partnership for first industrial-scale test
Research centre ENGIE Laborelec already carried out successful lab tests with a Redox Flow Battery in 2019, and now they are testing the control and maintenance of this technology on an industrial scale. ENGIE, Equans and Jan De Nul join their efforts to test this installation of Redox Flow batteries.
Equans installed a Vanadium Redox Flow battery, manufactured by Invinity Energy Systems, with an 800 kWh capacity at the Jan De Nul site in Hofstade (near Aalst), connected to their 578kW solar panel installation. The installation is housed in four 20ft containers, stacked in twos, and is managed by a smart Energy Management System (EMS) of ENGIE, which controls the battery to optimise the installation’s auto-consumption.
Julie De Nul, CEO at Jan De Nul: “Jan De Nul are building the energy transition and invest fully in innovation. We install wind farms and interconnectors, we redevelop historic pollution into sources of sustainable energy. And with this project, we are one step further towards sustainable business management. Together with our continued investment into PV installations and the electrification of our vehicle fleet, this Redox Flow Battery will enable us to better balance supply and demand on this site."
"We investigate and learn how this type of application can be deployed more widely on our sites and in our operations in Belgium and all over the world. At Jan De Nul, we have loads of ambitious targets for GHG emissions with initiatives such as the CO2 Performance Ladder, Science-Based Targets and the Carbon Disclosure Project. It has always been Jan De Nul’s vision and ambition to play a pioneering role in the energy transition”.
Mark Dirckx, CEO at Equans BeLux: “We have taken care of the conceptual study, the tender process and the integration of the different modules, and we will also be responsible for the maintenance of the battery system during the 4-year test period. Equans is a world leader who assists his clients in the areas of energy transition, industrial and digital transition. We see the Redox Flow battery technology as a sustainable, robust and future-proof solution, and we are particularly proud that we can take part in this first industrial-scale trial”.
In the future, batteries will be indispensable on industrial sites, in combination with the local production of renewable energy.
Vincent Verbeke, CEO ENGIE Belgium: “As pioneers in the energy transition, we look beyond the well-known Lithium-Ion battery and we dare to choose innovation. Currently, there are still very few examples in Europe of large-scale projects with Redox Flow batteries. This pilot project puts Belgium in the spotlight as a frontrunner in innovation in the energy sector. We want to play a major part in energy storage with the ambition to develop 10GW storage capacity by 2030 worldwide”.
Vanadium Redox Flow batteries as potential alternative for Lithium-Ion batteries
Vanadium Redox Flow batteries are innovative batteries that are currently mature enough technically and commercially to play a major part in the energy transition. Vanadium Redox Flow batteries can be deployed as a replacement for or complement to Lithium-Ion batteries, a/o for local renewable energy production on industrial sites or in centralised setups.
Unlike Lithium-Ion batteries, Redox Flow batteries have a lifespan of at least 25 years, a capacity that ages very little over time and a natural storage capacity of several hours. Moreover, they are safer, because there is no risk of thermal runaway, and are therefore more suitable for hotter climates, and they can be recycled more easily at the end of their lifecycle.
About Equans
Equans, a subsidiary of the Bouygues group, is a world leader in the energy and service sector, operating across 20 countries with 90,000 employees spread across five continents and achieving a revenue of €18.8 billion in 2023. Equans specializes in designing, installing, and delivering tailored solutions to enhance the equipment, systems, and technical processes of its clients, optimizing their utilization within the context of energy, industrial, and digital transitions.
Leveraging a strong territorial presence rooted in its historic local brands and exemplary technical expertise, Equans' highly skilled experts are capable of supporting territories, cities, industries, and buildings across various domains including Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Refrigeration and Fire Safety, Facility Management, Digital and ICT, Electricity, Mechanics, and Robotics. Equans holds a leadership position in key European markets such as France, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, and is also well-established in the United States and Latin America.
www.equans.com
About Equans BeLux
In Belgium and Luxemburg, Equans customers can rely on almost 80 years of knowhow and experience in a wide range of technical services. With 9,900 workers distributed over more than 56 sites, we have strong local roots and we are always close to our customers. In 2023, Equans BeLux generated a turnover of 2.2 billion Euros.
Press contact Equans BeLux:
Sarah De Bruyn
32 475 56 16 99
sarah.debruyn@equans.com
About ENGIE in Belgium
ENGIE is the largest energy company on the Belgian market, with 2.8 million residential, professional and industrial customers. It is active in the production of electricity and the sale of electricity, natural gas and innovative energy solutions and services. ENGIE have local and diverse production facilities consisting of renewable energy sources, flexible units and nuclear plants.
Press contact ENGIE Belgium:
Hellen Smeets
0498/32 47 70
press.benelux@engie.com
About Laborelec (part of ENGIE Research & Innovation)
Laborelec, a unit of the ENGIE Group, is a leading expertise and research centre in electrical energy. They offer operational assistance, technical advice and applied R&D services, relying on the skills of 375 specialised engineers and technicians. The business is active throughout the electricity value chain.
Their services support a wide range of customers in the areas of energy generation, transmission, distribution, storage and end-use, with a particular focus on energy transition and net zero carbon. Laborelecare currently part of the ENGIE Research & Innovation division. They are world leaders with activities in more than 60 countries and offices in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Latin America and the Middle-East.
About Jan De Nul Group
Jan De Nul Group is a family business operating worldwide that solves complex challenges of our modern society. Our talented people develop sustainable solutions and contribute towards the energy transition and secure the future for the coming generations.
Our expertise is based on five main activities: offshore energy, dredging and marine construction works, civil engineering works, environmental activities and project development.
We enable the production of offshore energy and keep waterways deep. We build new harbours and create extra land. We achieve complex infrastructure works and realise buildings of any type. We fight pollution in all its forms. From design and engineering to realisation and maintenance, we “unburden” our clients with total solutions combining one, several or even all these activities. environmental activities and project development.
Press contact Jan De Nul Group:
Heleen Schellinck
+32 471 34 24 77
press@jandenul.com
About Invinity
Invinity Energy Systems (AIM: IES) is the leading global manufacturer of modular vanadium flow batteries which unlock low-cost, low-carbon renewable energy on demand for businesses, industry and electricity networks around the world. Safe, reliable, durable and economical, Invinity’s flow batteries have been deployed at more than 75 sites in 15 countries and are the most commercially proven alternative to lithium-ion for both standalone and collocated stationary energy storage applications, helping to accelerate global progress towards Net Zero.
Press contact Invinity:
Joe Worthington, Director of Communications
+44 20 4551 0361
press@invinity.com