Validation of Water-Based, pH Neutral, Organic Redox Flow Batteries for Large Scale Energy Storage

New Brunswick is committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, and part of the strategy to accomplish this involves achieving net-zero electricity emissions by 2035. This will involve replacing fossil-fuel-based energy generation by adding carbon-free nuclear generation, but also adding 1400 MW of wind, and 500 MW of solar generation. These renewable energy sources are weather dependent and intermittent, and will therefore require large scale energy storage for when generation exceeds demand for times when demand exceeds generation capabilities. Indeed, the NB government plans to procure 100 MW of new energy storage by 2035 to pair with planned expansion of wind generation capacity and acknowledges that further storage capabilities will be evaluated as technology develops. 

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are a leading technology for this purpose. Most RFBs use metal-based species, especially vanadium, but organic active materials theoretically offer the possibility to store more energy per volume with lower cost and environmental impact. This project is aimed at improving current organic RFB technology by developing new active materials with unique features to promote high energy density, longevity and safety at low-cost: 1. Three stable redox states to allow them to be used as both anode and cathode materials (eliminating crossover issues); 2. Two-electron oxidation and reduction with a large voltage difference (increased energy density); 3. Tunable molecular design from low cost starting materials to access high solubility (increased energy density) and stability (increased lifetime); 4. Water-based electrolytes at neutral pH (non-flammable, non-corrosive). 

The project is anticipated to result in patentable intellectual property from the new materials themselves, as well as their use in low cost RFBs, and represents the validation of a key technology to enable NB to achieve net zero electricity.