Vopak is the largest independent tank storage company in the world, specialising in storage for liquid bulk products such as chemicals, oil, gasses, and biofuels. The company operates 79 terminals in 23 countries and plays an integral role in today’s energy systems.

To remain competitive in a low-carbon future, Vopak is developing a new type of storage solution connected to the energy grids, to help balance out peak loads (a surplus of renewable energy) and peak demands placed on the grids. By adapting its traditional tank storage capabilities to provide large-scale, long-term electricity storage, Vopak aims to help address the intermittency challenge of renewable energy and provide valuable services to the energy grids.

Elestor, one of our company portfolio, has developed a unique, patented hydrogen bromine flow battery which utilises low-cost, abundant materials (bromine and hydrogen) to store electricity as modules. Elestor is currently building the system for Vopak’s terminal at the sea port of Vlissingen, the Netherlands, due to be completed by the end of 2022. From there, the two companies aim to further scale up the storage capacity and usage to industrial scale.

Vopak operates in a number of sea ports where it can utilise the bromine readily available in sea water.

The solution developed by Elestor is robust with a long-life expectancy, has no self-discharge, delivers power quickly and reduces electricity storage costs substantially. When recreated at scale, the technology can support Vopak in its aims of contributing to vital infrastructure needs of the future.

 

Key figures

• The charge and discharge efficiencies rise from 60% to 90%, or even higher when using bromine instead of oxygen (used in hydrogen oxygen fuel cells).
• The flow batteries will increase to 3,000 kWh in a period of 2 years and then further develop it to industrial scale.