Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson and a specialist in maximising reliability, deployment speed and operational efficiency for telecommunications networks, and Australian engineering and manufacturing company RedFlow have formed a partnership to take RedFlow’s unique flow battery storage technology into new markets.

Plans are already underway for a trial with a telecommunications company located in the Asia-Pacific region and the two companies are in discussion with a European-based telecommunications company.

Under the agreement Emerson Network Power will integrate its solar energy solutions with RedFlow’s Zinc Bromide Module (ZBM) flow batteries to provide power to remote sites that lack continuous power.

“Our battery technology is ideally suited to the telco market as it uses the same DC voltage – allowing 100% discharge – and operates in temperatures up to 50°C,” says RedFlow chief executive Stuart Smith.

“Compare this to the lead acid batteries traditionally used in the telco sector that can only discharge to 80% and need air conditioning in ambient temperatures over 25% to ensure ongoing performance.”

It was Emerson Network Power’s success in the telecommunications market as well as its expertise in energy and its global footprint that attracted RedFlow.

“Our agreement with Emerson offers us the opportunity to expand our business into the telecommunications sector as well as other off-grid and micro-grid markets,” Stuart says.

“The collaboration with Emerson is an important step in the validation of RedFlow’s technology, and the ongoing development of our prototype ZBM batteries towards a commercially ready stage.”

RedFlow, a Queensland-based company, is the only provider in the world of modular zinc bromide flow batteries which lower the cost and complexity of potential implementations and enable customers to easily add more units as needed.

“RedFlow’s technology also offers customers a range of environmental benefits,” says Emerson Network Power’s Energy Systems business in Asia vice president Ross Campbell.

“Because they can be fully discharged fewer batteries are needed to power a site and there is less need to call on back-up generators. Also, because the RedFlow batteries function in ambient temperatures of up to 50°C they are less likely to need an air-conditioned environment.

“In addition, whereas industry standards recommend that lead acid batteries are replaced every five years with the consequential environmental impacts, the RedFlow ZBM batteries have largely plastic components which are expected to be less of an issue with hazardous waste,” Ross says.

RedFlow also supplied 12 ZBM batteries this year to a major USA conglomerate with some activities in the US defense industry following a trial in the second half of 2012.