India’s ambition of creating renewable energy capacity of 500 GW by 2030 cannot be realised without large-scale storage systems. It is generally accepted that conventional battery systems cannot provide an affordable solution. In the search for alternatives, one bright candidate has been the ‘flow battery’, which is modular and hence easily scalable.
As detailed earlier in these columns, in flow batteries, energy is stored in two liquid electrolytes in separate tanks. When you charge, the energy supplied urges electrons from the electron-poor side to move to the electron-rich side — like taking water uphill — creating a potential difference. During discharge, the reverse happens — electrons flow from the electron-rich side to the electron-poor side. (The flow of electrons is electricity. Gaining electrons is a ‘reduction reaction’, losing electrons is…
Can flow batteries support India’s renewable energy pivot?
