EnerVenue launches new metal-hydrogen battery variant

US startup EnerVenue has developed a new version of its nickel-hydrogen batteries for large-scale renewables and storage applications.

“The newest version of EnerVenue’s batteries extends the solutions’ durability, operational flexibility, and cost-efficiency benefits for stationary storage projects across myriad use cases,” the manufacturer said in a statement. “The next-generation ESVs can flexibly cycle up to three times per day, at two to 12-hour discharge rates, enabling unique applications and business models for developers, integrators, and owners.”

The battery has reportedly a 30-year, 30,000-cycle lifespan, with the manufacturer offering a 20-year/20,000-cycle warranty that guarantees at least 88% battery capacity remaining after that period.

EnerVenue claims its nickel-hydrogen battery technology can operate at temperatures between -40 C and 60 C. It can also provide the promised cycles without degradation and at varying rates, for a wide range of fast and slow charging capabilities.

The battery has an efficiency ranging from 80% to 90%, depending on the cycle rate, and its energy density per square foot is equal to, or better than lithium-ion batteries, according to the company.

In May, EnerVenue conducted UL 9540A evaluations for thermal runaway fire propagation at the cell, module, and unit level. The company certified its Energy Storage Vessels to UL 1973, said EnerVenue CTO Majid Keshavarz. He said the UL 9540A test results validate the company’s battery chemistry as the top choice for customers aiming to eliminate fire or thermal hazards in their grid-scale installations.

The nickel-hydrogen battery technology is particularly good in remote and harsh conditions with operational temperatures ranging between -40 C to 60 C, as demonstrated by its use in NASA satellites.

EnerVenue raised $125 million in a December 2021 Series A equity offering from Schlumberger, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, and Stanford University. It was advised by Barclays. The funding round followed another $12 million seed round earlier that year.

In March, EnerVenue announced plans to invest in a gigafactory in the US state of Kentucky, where it will design, manufacture and test its nickel-hydrogen Energy Storage Vessels. It reports that it has more than 7 GWh of customer commitments, including orders from Pine Gate Renewables, Nicon Industries’ Green Energy Renewable Solutions unit, and Schlumberger New Energy.