Australian innovator Altech Chemicals Ltd. and joint-venture partner Fraunhofer IKTS announced the launch of its 1.0 megawatt-hour GridPack design last week. Dubbed CERENERGY Sodium Alumina Solid State (SAS) 1.0 MWh GridPack (ABS1000), the battery pack is designed specifically with renewable energy and the grid storage market in mind.
Altech says the solid-state sodium alumina Cerenergy battery pack is rated at 600 Volts DC and 100 Ah and can be installed outdoors regardless of weather conditions. Designed to mimic a sea container, the Cerenergy battery pack is conveniently transported over land or sea.
Cerenergy battery packs are built to be “plug and play,” making installation at the site significantly easier. Further, the packs are modular and may be stacked, saving space at the installation site. The battery packs are also inflammable, reducing the risk of fires and explosions dramatically.
Per Altech, the batteries are noiseless as well, making them ideal for noise-sensitive environments. Cerenergy battery packs are also inexpensive and easy to maintain, making the cost of servicing the battery packs lower than many other alternative options over it’s expected 15-year life.
Altech Chemicals is based in Subiaco, Western Australia and is attempting to implement a marketable process for delivering 99.99% (4N) HPA using conventional equipment at a lower production cost than methods currently available. It plans to construct a 4,500 metric ton per annum HPA plant at Tanjung Langsat Industrial Complex, Johor, Malaysia that will use kaolin clay from a company-owned mine in Meckering, Western Australia. The firm is fast-tracking HPA production due to an agreement with Mitsubishi for 100% of its proposed HPA production for ten years.