BASF Partners with Jena Battery in Germany to Develop Innovative Energy Storage Technology

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoonju Hwang] Global chemical company BASF is collaborating with German company JenaBatteries to produce electrolytes used in battery technology suitable for stationary storage of renewable energy-based power and grid stabilization.

Through cooperation with JenaBatteries, which not only develops organic material redox flow batteries (RFB) but also holds the world's first commercialized technology, BASF plans to supply one of the two liquid organic electrolytes required for RFBs.

BASF possesses large-scale production capabilities of amines, chemical intermediates that are the main raw materials for these electrolytes. JenaBatteries aims to launch the RFB developed through this collaboration to the market within 2020.

RFB technology stores electrical energy in compounds. The capacity of the RFB electrolyte tank corresponds directly to the battery capacity, making it suitable for stationary energy storage systems over 100 kilowatts (kW) or large-scale systems exceeding 400 kilowatt-hours (kWh). With excellent flexibility, RFBs can deliver outputs of several hundred megawatts (MW) at gigawatt-hour (GWh) levels. Additionally, RFBs do not contain any flammable or explosive materials, reducing fire risk. Notably, they can be charged over 10,000 times, allowing them to last approximately ten times longer than other batteries.

Dr. Oliver Cullmann, Vice President of Specialty Amines Europe at BASF’s Intermediates division, stated, "JenaBatteries is a startup actively utilizing renewable energy through its solutions, aligning with BASF’s sustainability strategy and direction. Through this collaboration, BASF will be able to further expand its amine portfolio into new and future-oriented applications."

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