AGL to trial nickel hydrogen battery at Torrens Island

AGL will trial a new battery system – adapted from technology used in space – that’s emerging as a potential alternative to lithium-ion for grid-scale storage.

AGL will test the battery at its Torrens Island site.

AGL has partnered with US technology giant SLB to trial a new battery technology that’s emerging as a potential alternative to lithium-ion for grid-scale storage.

Under a memorandum of understanding between the two companies, AGL will conduct testing on a small nickel hydrogen battery at its Torrens Island site north of Adelaide, where the company recently switched on the nation’s second largest grid-connected battery.

SLB will supply to AGL the 180KW/360KWh battery for the two-year pilot program, which is expected to be the first of its kind in Australia when it gets under way in 2025.

Nickel hydrogen batteries – adapted from a technology used in space – are being trialled around the world, in the hope they will overcome some of the shortcomings of lithium-ion batteries, including their limited storage duration and lifespan.

AGL will test the operational performance of the battery at its Torrens Island site, where the battery will provided storage for on-site power use.

The company says that if the potential benefits of the technology are verified during the pilot program, the next step could be for AGL to explore the development of a grid-scale project using the same technology.

AGL Energy Hubs general manager Travis Hughes said the company was exploring new battery technologies as part of its goal to add up to 5.9GW of firming capacity by 2035.

“This is the first new battery technology AGL is piloting since it established an emerging battery technology team,” he said.

“Nickel hydrogen batteries have been identified as a technology which may offer different benefits when compared with lithium-ion batteries such as the potential for a longer cycle life, the potential to withstand a greater temperature operating range – meaning more potential applications and reduced need for cooling – and the potential cost benefits associated with these advantages. 

“Exploring and testing innovative technologies as they are developed and bringing them to market at scale is critical as we try to accelerate our efforts to transition our business over the coming decade.”

As part of AGL’s Climate Transition Action Plan, the company is aiming to add about 12GW of generation and firming capacity by the end of 2035, including 6.3GW of renewables and 5.9GW of firming. 

In August, the company launched a 250MW/250MWh grid-scale battery at Torrens Island. It will provide enough electricity to power approximately 75,000 homes for one hour. 

South Australian Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the state government backed efforts to find new innovations aimed at improving the stability of the grid amid the transition to renewables.

“We know that the pressure point in the electricity system is the gap in supply when the sun isn’t shining, and the wind isn’t blowing,” he said.

“The Malinauskas Labor Government welcomes innovation aimed at addressing that gap, and this trial by AGL is a good example of that. The space industry has proven these batteries are reliable – now AGL will test how they work commercially.”

US start-up EnerVenue is a pioneer in the emergence of nickel hydrogen batteries, and is currently building a gigafactory in Kentucky to scale up annual production to up to 20GWh.