South African battery manufacturer Elektron Energy has been awarded a grant from Eureka Eurostars, supported by the South African Department of Science and Technology, for the research and development of next-generation bi-polar batteries.
The move towards greater, more efficient and more cost-effective battery systems that can compete with more advanced chemistries has been the focus of the lead-acid battery industry for years.
It is anticipated that the Elektron bi-polar cells will deliver at least a 50% performance improvement over traditional lead-acid battery technology and, coupled with innovative manufacturing and recycling infrastructure, be far more cost efficient to manufacture.
Elektron Energy, founded in 2015, is the South African licensee of the Mega Amps UK Permabat and Bi-polar cell technology.
Permabat is a pioneer, build-your-own-megawatt battery system that allows engineering, procurement and construction firms to build large-megawatt battery systems on site from pre-supplied components.
Elektron’s business model is to form primary partnerships and joint ventures with energy firms and finance houses for the commercialisation of its technology.
“This grant from Eureka Eurostars is further validation that the technology that we develop and manufacture is cutting edge and we are very excited at the prospect of megawatt scale deployments across sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the continent,” says Elektron Energy founder Neill Human.
“Permabat and the Bi-polar technologies are the solutions to the energy storage crisis across the globe and, with Africa being our initial primary market, the future is looking very positive indeed.”
The grant from Eureka Eurostars to Elektron is a first for a South Africa-UK relationship in the energy field, the company states.