Flow Batteries Europe held its fifth General Assembly on 1 December 2022, in conjunction with Enlit Europe. 

Players across the energy sector met in Frankfurt at this year’s Enlit Europe (29 November – 1 December), to strategise on the best way forward for a reliable, sustainable and digital energy transition.

Flow Batteries Europe was well-represented, having attended the conference as an exhibitor. Our policy officers were thrilled with the interest flow batteries generated. Furthermore, FBE Secretary-General Anthony Price and President Kees van de Kerk (Volterion) joined a panel session to discuss the merits of long duration energy storage (LDES). They stressed how such technologies are essential to the deployment of renewables by providing flexibility solutions. 

On the last day of Enlit Europe, flow battery stakeholders attended FBE’s fifth General Assembly. Over the last six months, the Secretariat welcomed three new members and organised two panel sessions at the International Flow Battery Forum and at EU Sustainable Energy Week respectively. The Secretariat’s advocacy work included an endorsement of EASE’s energy storage targets, a push for more funding to relevant research, generating greater visibility with policymakers. 

An invitation to ‘Afternoon Tea with FBE’ was extended to non-members interested in learning more about the Secretariat’s activities and advocacy priorities. Attendees heard a keynote speech by FBE Vice-President Alexander Schönfeldt (CellCube), who presented an overview of market trends and how these support the deployment LDES as a cheap and reliable power output.  

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are an important LDES technology within this context. RBFs are easily scalable since electricity storage increases proportionally to the size of the system’s external electrolyte tanks. As scale drives down storage costs, RFBs are projected to become the cheapest source for LDES of 8-24 hours. Additional specifications make RFBs particularly sustainable, efficient and safe. RFBs likewise have a crucial role to play – along with other LDES solutions – in the phasing out of Russian fossil fuel dependence through the REPowerEU plan. Indeed, energy security needs energy storage.