Brisbane-based battery manufacturer Redflow Limited has been designated as the preferred energy storage technology for a pioneering project recommended for grant negotiation by the California Energy Commission (CEC).
The project, initiated by the Barona Band of Mission Indians, prioritises energy storage for resilience and has been endorsed for a CEC award, the ASX-listed company said in a media release.
The Barona Band, working together with Prosper Sustainably and Microgrid Initiatives, actively collaborated with Redflow Limited and Ameresco, a cleantech integrator, and renewable energy asset developer, to create the proposal.
The project, which emerged as the top submission among twelve competitive proposals, has now secured a recommendation for funding after a thorough assessment by the CEC.
Valued at $20.1 million, the Barona project is set to receive a grant of $13.8 million from the CEC. Redflow anticipates that its revenue on a $/kWh basis for this project will align with industry standards for similar projects in the United States.
Following the standard process of the CEC, grant terms will undergo negotiation and finalisation.
The objective is to initiate development activities for this energy project in the second half of the calendar year 2024, with deployment expected in the calendar year 2025-26.
Financed through the CEC’s Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program, the project aims to empower the Barona Band of Mission Indians to deliver reliable, resilient, and sustainable clean energy to their community.
Tim Harris, CEO and managing director of Redflow, expressed the significance of this project in showcasing the company’s technology capabilities on a commercial multi-megawatt-hour scale.
He emphasised that Redflow’s LDES technology provides unmatched flexibility, allowing for a 100 per cent depth of discharge without compromising capacity or lifespan, aligning seamlessly with California’s decarbonisation goals.
Upon completion of the grant award process, this project would mark Redflow’s fourth multi-megawatt-hour project in California involving the CEC as a funding partner.
It underlines the adaptability of Redflow’s LDES technology in achieving MWh-scale battery hibernation for resilient clean energy operations.
Raymond Welch, Barona Tribal Council Chairman, expressed optimism about the Barona Community LDES Project, stating that it would accelerate the Band’s progress towards energy resiliency, sustainability, and greater energy sovereignty.
“The Barona Community LDES Project will accelerate the Barona Band’s progress toward greater energy resiliency and sustainability, and will help the Band to achieve greater energy sovereignty through control over our own energy resources,” Welch concluded.
