Grid Modernization with Salt-Water Flow Batteries

Aqua-Cell Energy’s novel salt-water flow battery offers electricity grid operators and industrial customers a cost-effective way store energy for period of 12 hours or more.

Project at a Glance

Funding Recipient: Aqua-Cell Energy Inc.
Website: Visit their website
Funding Awarded: $400,000
Project Duration: Feb 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026
Sector: Clean Technology, Energy, Environment
Program: Energy Storage and Minerals

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Project description:

With unprecedented growth of electricity demand, the need for safe, low-cost energy storage solutions is growing to support stability, reliability and affordability of electricity supply, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity system. Aqua-Cell Energy’s novel salt-water flow battery offers electricity grid operators and industrial customers a cost-effective way store energy for period of 12 hours or more. The objective of this project is to design, build and validate a fully operational and automated battery system that can communicate with an electricity microgrid. The project paves the way for field pilots with distribution system owners/operators.

  • Design and assemble containerized battery pilot, complete with sensors and controls, to test on the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Centre for Grid Innovation 50 kW micro-grid.
  • NAIT’s Centre for Sensors and Systems Integration (CSSI) will build the control system and interface in a parallel, out of scope project.
  • Complete necessary certifications and stamped engineering drawings in preparation for next phase of development.
  • Complete a battery system Unit ready for integration into a shipping container to be deployed in Alberta for the first field pilots.