Redflow wins second South African telco battery sale

Australian energy storage company Redflow Limited (ASX: RFX) has won a follow-up sale of 32 zinc-bromine flow batteries to provide standby energy storage for mobile phone towers in South Africa.

This second sale follows an initial order last month for five batteries for use at mobile phone towers run by a leading South African telecommunication company. The towers are owned by a local company that is supported by the South African Government’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) affirmative action agenda.

Redflow CEO Tim Harris, who received the new order after a visit to South Africa last week, said it clearly demonstrated the technological and commercial viability of Redflow’s zinc-bromine flow batteries for telecommunication deployments. “Our batteries thrive on heat and hard work, which is what these sites in South Africa require.  Following yesterday’s Optus announcement, today’s new sale further highlights the value proposition that Redflow’s ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries deliver to telecommunications companies, both in Australia and overseas,” he said.

Continue reading “Redflow wins second South African telco battery sale” →

Redflow batteries to power Optus mobile tower in Daintree rainforest

Redflow today has announced an order to provide six ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries for energy storage at an Optus mobile phone tower in the environmentally sensitive Daintree rainforest.

The Redflow ZBM2 batteries will store and supply 60 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy for the Optus mobile phone tower at Alexandra Range, in the Cape Tribulation section of the Daintree rainforest, a remote headland and ecotourism destination in Far North Queensland. Situated 1500km north of Brisbane, the Daintree National Park became a World Heritage Site in 1988.

Optus selected Redflow’s ZBM2 batteries for deployment at their Cape Tribulation site because of the batteries’ sustained energy storage capacity, tolerance of warm temperatures, remote management capability and environmentally-friendly design. Continue reading “Redflow batteries to power Optus mobile tower in Daintree rainforest” →

Redflow supplies batteries for South African mobile phone towers

Redflow Limited has received an order to supply five zinc-bromine flow batteries for a pilot project to provide standby energy storage for mobile phone towers in South Africa.

This order will see Redflow provide the project with batteries for five identified sites with the first batteries to be deployed in November. The project will see Redflow’s zinc-bromine flow batteries provide energy storage for the mobile phone towers, operated by one of South Africa’s leading telcos. The towers will be owned by a local company, supported by the South African Government’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) affirmative action agenda.

The sale was made through Redflow’s long-term South African partner, Specialized Solar Systems (SSS), which has formed a joint venture company with specialist telco supplier Amber Energy. Called SSS Gauteng, the new company will deliver the energy storage and telecommunications skills to deploy the batteries on remote mobile phone towers.

Redflow has worked with SSS to enable its batteries to operate in Standby Power System (SPS) mode. In this newly created operating mode, Redflow batteries can be charged and then placed in a dormant state, with no self-discharge, until a power outage. When energy is required, the battery can boot up to full operational status in a similar timeframe to a standby generator – with no internal combustion engine and no fuel storage required on the site.

Redflow Managing Director and CEO Tim Harris said this sale created a significant opportunity for the company. “The Standby Power System, which Redflow has developed with our partners, will help open the door for access to other cellphone network operators in Africa and internationally,” he said. Continue reading “Redflow supplies batteries for South African mobile phone towers” →

Redflow batteries to power Fiji’s digital TV rollout

Australian energy storage company Redflow Limited has shipped zinc-bromine flow batteries made at its new factory in Thailand to fulfil its largest-ever order for use in a digital television network in Fiji.

New Zealand-based telecommunications infrastructure specialist Hitech Solutions last year chose Redflow’s ZBM2 batteries to provide energy storage for Fiji’s new digital television network which it is deploying for the Fiji Government throughout the Pacific nation, including remote islands.

Hitech Solutions ordered US$1.2 million worth of Redflow ZBM2 batteries to store and supply renewable energy to power the Fijian digital TV network. The company, which has operated a five-battery trial site in Fiji during the past year, intends to scale up its deployment of solar panels and Redflow batteries during the next six months. Hitech will install from five to 60 ZBM2 batteries at more than 10 sites in Fiji, many of which are on hills with no access to the country’s electricity grid. Continue reading “Redflow batteries to power Fiji’s digital TV rollout” →

Tower Power – Redflow energy storage for telecommunications

Redflow’s ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries provide the ideal hard-working, long-lived, temperature-tolerant energy storage systems required for off-grid telecommunication towers.

From Australia and New Zealand to Latin America, telecommunication service providers have used Redflow batteries to store and provide power for remote telecom tower sites.

Read more about the benefits of Redflow batteries for telecommunication companies by clicking here.

 

Redflow tower power: More resources

White Paper: Redflow Telco Application

Presentation: Energy Storage for Communities, Mining and Telecommunications

ZBM2 case study: Telecom BTS case study from Latin America

News, May 2017 Redflow secures A$800,000 battery sale for tropics

News, September 2017 Hi-Tech places second US$600,000 order for Redflow batteries

Redflow demos ZBM2 benefits at TowerXChange South Africa

Redflow this week promotes its ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries for use in the booming telecommunications tower market at the TowerXChange event in South Africa this week.

TowerXchange is an open community for thought leaders in the emerging market towers industry, bringing together mobile network operators (MNOs), tower companies, investors, equipment and service providers to share best practices in passive and active infrastructure management, opex reduction, and to accelerate infrastructure sharing.

Redflow has a stand at the TowerXchange Meetup for Africa and the Middle East, which is running at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, from October 3-4.

Redflow’s presence at TowerXChange aligns with the company’s focus, announced earlier this year, to insert its long-lived zinc-bromine flow batteries into the lead-acid refresh cycle for telco towers, a replacement process that typically occurs every 18-36 months in warm and tropical climates.  

To learn more about the benefits of Redflow energy storage for the telecommunications sector, visit http://redflow.com/applications/telecommunications/.

Telecommunications

Redflow powers telecoms in the most demanding locations.

Redflow’s ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries provide energy for remotely-located telecommunications infrastructure internationally, including Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Latin America and elsewhere. Redflow’s energy storage solutions equip telecom providers to ensure the off-grid or backup power supply requirements for remotely located telecommunication towers, effectively solving the problems caused by unstable grids, blackouts and intermittent renewable energy.

Soaring global use of mobile phones has led to estimates of 2.5 billion smartphones and four million telecommunication towers by 2018. The strongest growth in telecom tower deployment is in developing nations in Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent, where wireless telephony and Internet access have leapfrogged wired telco infrastructure, often in areas with unstable or no grid access.

Telecommunications providers in these areas face significant supply issues, including intermittent power and supply outages that can last for hours, days and even weeks. Even in developed nations, telcos need to ensure failsafe energy supplies to their Base Transceiver Sites (BTS) to meet customer expectations of uninterrupted access to mobile phone and data coverage.

Redflow’s 48-volt DC ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries solve many of the problems that impact telecommunications providers, including the ability to operate in warm and dusty conditions without active cooling; long-term storage at any state of charge, from empty to full, without damaging the battery; and construction materials with little resale value, making them less attractive to thieves. The benefits of Redflow zinc-bromine flow batteries follow:

  • ZBM2 protects telecom coverage from grid outages and intermittent power supplies
  • ZBM2 stores solar energy until it’s needed, eliminating the intermittency of renewable power
  • ZBM2 stores 10kWh of energy with no storage capacity loss over 10 years
  • ZBM2 batteries deliver 100% depth of discharge on a daily basis
  • ZBM2 has a warranty for 10 years or 36,500 kWh throughput, whichever comes first
  • ZBM2’s ‘virtual genset’ mode loses no power over time and starts in 30 seconds
  • ZBM2 works in temperatures as warm as 50 degrees C (122 degrees F) without active cooling
  • ZBM2’s inherently non-flammable electrolyte means it has low risk of thermal runaway
  • ZBM2 allows remote access or monitoring via the Internet to reduce the need for site visits
  • ZBM2’s unique design reduces the risk of theft
  • ZBM2 reduces operating expenses (OPEX) and diesel costs when used with a genset
  • ZBM2 directly replaces lead-acid batteries at existing BTS locations in a fraction of the space
  • ZBM2 can be stored at any state of charge – from empty to full – for months or years. Please contact Redflow for further details on this option.

To learn more about Redflow’s ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries, visit our ZBM2 page or contact Redflow

Redflow ZBM2 telecommunications: More resources

White Paper: Redflow Telco Application

Presentation: Energy Storage for Communities, Mining and Telecommunications

ZBM2 case study: Telecom BTS case study from Latin America

News, May 2017 Redflow secures A$800,000 battery sale for tropics

News, September 2017 Hi-Tech places second US$600,000 order for Redflow batteries

Hitech places second US$600,000 order for Redflow batteries

Australian battery company Redflow Limited has repeated its largest ever sale of ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries, after receiving a second international order worth about US$600,000 (A$750,000).

Auckland-based Hitech Solutions placed this latest order for a major, multiple stage project which is using Redflow’s ZBM2 batteries to build advanced hybrid energy storage systems that will deliver reliable power to multiple remote sites in a Pacific Island nation. Hitech specialises in providing telecommunications and infrastructure services for clients in New Zealand and internationally. Redflow has completed delivery of all batteries to fulfil Hitech’s first order, announced in May.

Redflow CEO Simon Hackett said this repeat large sale validated the appeal of ZBM2 batteries to displace lead-acid batteries for network power applications in demanding and remote environments. “We are delighted that Hitech has again chosen Redflow batteries,” he said.

Continue reading “Hitech places second US$600,000 order for Redflow batteries” →

Redflow secures A$800,000 battery sale for tropics

Australian energy storage specialist Redflow today announces its largest single sale of ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries, worth about US$600,000 (A$800,000), for multiple sites in the Pacific Islands. Redflow partner Vertiv (formerly Emerson Network Power) will provide the batteries for an energy storage solution being designed by New Zealand-based Hitech Solutions.

Hitech is building advanced hybrid energy storage systems to provide reliable, remote power to multiple sites in a Pacific Island nation. This first ZBM2 order from Hitech supports the first stage of a multiple stage project.

Redflow CEO Simon Hackett said this major sector sale recognised the unique advantages of its batteries. “This high-workload deployment in the tropics is ideal for our zinc-bromine flow batteries,” he said.

Continue reading “Redflow secures A$800,000 battery sale for tropics” →