Brisbane-headquartered grid-scale battery manufacturer Energy Storage Industries (ESI) Asia Pacific has received a $3 million grant from the Queensland Department of State Development and Infrastructure’s Regional Economic Futures Fund (REFF).
The new round of funding has seen ESI enter a partnership with Townsville-based Cleveland Bay Chemical Company to help increase ESI’s iron flow electrolyte production from 3 million litres per year to 43 million litres.
The funds will aid the upgrade of the ESI battery grade ferrous chloride plant in Townsville, including the production and laboratory facilities, to develop what it hopes will be the most advanced facility in North Queensland supporting the chemical production needed for long duration energy storage, using iron flow battery technology.
Part of the funding will also be used by the partnership to conduct a concept study to look at the potential for building a commercial chlor-alkali chemical plant that would produce hydrochloric acid and other reagnets used for refining and processing critical minerals.
ESI AsiaPacific Managing Director Stuart Parry said the support from the REFF would enhance Australia’s energy security and create skilled jobs and economic opportunities.
“We’re excited that our partnership with Cleveland Bay Chemical Company will expand production of Australia’s first iron-based electrolyte made for commercial batteries,” Parry said.
“Crucially, we’re strengthening the resilience of the supply chain for iron flow batteries and supporting the development of a critical minerals supply chain as we improve energy security for all Australians,” Parry said.
ESI has begun construction of a large-scale iron flow battery manufacturing plant at Maryborough, 260 kilometres north of Brisbane, which is sourcing and manufacturing key battery components throughout regional Queensland.
Other recipients of the $200 million REFF funding round included $500,000 for the Queensland Resources Council to determine the viability and connection costs of using post-mining land for potential renewable energy projects across the Bowen Basin, in Central Queensland.
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