In 2024, CellCube was awarded nearly $19 million in combined funding to deploy its advanced megawatt-scale vanadium flow battery (VFB) and management system by the U.S. Department of Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).

The Challenge: Ensure energy security and resilience
The US Department of Defense Innovation Unit were looking for a sustainable solution to bolster energy resilience and sustainability for the US Navy and Marine Corps. They sought out a long-duration energy storage solution that would provide essential backup power that helps military installations and operations to ride through disruptions to power supply such as extreme weather events.  In addition, the solution had to support renewable energy integration such as solar and wind energy.

The Solution: Vanadium flow batteries
CellCube’s Vanadium flow battery technology and accompanying battery management system (BMS) will be connected to energy systems at base facilities of the US Navy and Marine Corps.  Their flow batteries will enable the military services to increase their consumption of renewable energy and better manage their energy use overall.

The system is designed to provide high availability of electric power, ranging from 50 kilowatts (kW) to 1 megawatt (MW), for a minimum of eight to ten consecutive hours. This capability ensures that the system can support stationary energy storage needs across various military operations.

Why are flow batteries a suitable solution?

• Ensure Energy Resilience: The vanadium flow battery system will enhance the energy resilience of critical DoD installations, ensuring continuous power availability during peak demand periods and adverse conditions. Flow batteries can provide long-duration backup power, making bases less vulnerable to grid outages, cyberattacks, or natural disasters.
  
  
• Support Renewable Energy Integration: Flow batteries help store excess renewable energy and smooth out fluctuations, enabling 24/7 use of clean energy.
  
  
• Environmental and Strategic Goals: The U.S. Department of Defense has mandates to reduce emissions and increase energy efficiency. Flow batteries support the DoD’s commitment to utilising renewable energy sources and reducing reliance on traditional power grids.
  
  
• Safe and Non-Flammable: Vanadium flow batteries are non-flammable and thermally stable, making them safer than lithium-ion for critical installations with strict safety standards.

Conclusion:
This collaboration marks a significant step forward in revolutionising energy storage solutions for defense applications.  Europe should take inspiration from the military use of flow batteries to enhance grid resilience and energy independence amid growing geopolitical risks. Embracing this technology supports a stable, low-carbon energy future powered by renewables