Origin-Backed Start-Up Unveils Revolutionary Redox Flow Battery

Australian energy storage start-up Allegro Energy has introduced its groundbreaking battery technology, backed by Origin Energy. The much-anticipated unveiling took place at the company’s headquarters in Thornton, New South Wales. This milestone follows Allegro securing a U.S. patent for its cutting-edge microemulsion flow battery (MeFB) technology.

Allegro Energy CEO and co-founder, Thomas Naan, describes this innovation as a significant breakthrough in long-duration energy storage. He believes it will play a crucial role in Australia’s and the world’s clean energy transition by offering greater efficiency, sustainability, and affordability.

Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, Allegro’s MeFB technology belongs to the category of redox flow batteries. These systems store energy in liquid electrolytes held in separate tanks. The battery generates electricity when these electrolytes flow through a central electrochemical cell, undergoing oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions.

This innovative system offers multiple advantages over solid-state batteries, including increased scalability and enhanced safety. Allegro claims that its non-flammable, non-toxic water-based microemulsion electrolyte makes the battery fully recyclable while drastically reducing the risk of thermal runaway, a major concern with lithium-ion batteries.

A key feature of Allegro’s MeFB is its reliance on widely available raw materials, eliminating the need for mining rare elements. This makes production not only more sustainable but also cost-effective. Additionally, for applications requiring high power and shorter durations, Allegro has developed supercapacitors using the same proprietary technology.

Recognizing the potential of Allegro’s MeFB, Origin Energy acquired a 5% stake in the company in 2023. To further support its development, Origin committed to testing the technology by deploying a 100kW/800kWh MeFB system at its Eraring coal plant in New South Wales.

In September last year, Origin increased its backing, participating in Allegro’s $17.5 million Series A funding round. This support positions Allegro favorably in the competitive energy storage market, unlike fellow Australian flow battery pioneer Redflow, which struggled to secure sufficient funding and ultimately entered voluntary administration.

With the rising demand for efficient and safe energy storage solutions, Allegro’s MeFB technology could be a game-changer. As renewable energy adoption accelerates, innovative storage solutions like this will be crucial in balancing grid stability and energy supply.

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