WEC Energy to test CMBlu organic flow battery in Milwaukee

US utility WEC Energy Group (NYSE:WEC) will pilot a long-duration organic flow battery storage system of 1 MWh to 2 MWh at its gas-fired Valley Power Plant in Milwaukee, the company said last week.

The project is a partnership with independent research organisation the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and CMBlu Energy Inc, the German developer of the Organic SolidFlow battery, which relies on abundant materials.

The pilot project, planned for testing in the fourth quarter of 2023, will demonstrate discharge durations of five to 10 hours.

EPRI will share findings with the utility sector in early 2024.

"The results of the pilot will provide key insights on how this innovation can be applied around the country," said Neva Espinzoa, EPRI vice president - energy supply and low-carbon resources.

"This demonstration supports our roadmap of tailored products and manufacturing of Organic SolidFlow batteries in the United States," said CMBlu Energy president Ben Kaun.

The German company in January announced a decision to expand into the US. It said then that compared to Germany and the rest of Europe, the US is marching ahead in the development and application of large-scale storage.

The US energy storage market will be driven by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA),which includes incentives for domestic production of batteries and for the deployment of clean energy projects.

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