Allegro Energy unveiled Australia’s first locally manufactured grid-scale microemulsion flow battery (MeFB) at an event held at its headquarters in Thornton, NSW, this week. The battery, designed for long-duration energy storage (LDES), will be trialled at Origin Energy’s Eraring Power Station.
The event brought together key figures in the clean energy sector, including The Hon. Matt Kean, Chair of the Climate Change Authority, and James Magill, Executive General Manager of Origin Zero. The new battery technology, which is non-flammable, scalable, and cost-effective, has been developed with a focus on supporting Australia’s energy transition.
Allegro Co-Founder and CEO, Dr Thomas Nann, highlighted the potential of the battery to contribute to both energy storage and local manufacturing. “This battery represents breakthrough chemistry that can support the clean energy transition in Australia and globally. It also shows how Australia can use advanced manufacturing to stand out from the crowd and do what others can’t,” he said.
The technology is also expected to bring economic benefits to the Newcastle region. Allegro Co-Founder and CTO, Fraser Hughson, pointed out that a large portion of the battery’s components are sourced locally. “We’re trying to do everything as locally as possible, and that’s not just because we want to but because it makes economic sense,” he said.
Greg Jarvis, Origin’s Head of Energy Supply and Operations, said the project could complement existing storage solutions. “Long-duration storage could supplement the high demand peak period covered by the 460MW Eraring battery currently under development and add to the overnight generation availability provided by the Shoalhaven Hydro Scheme.”
With battery storage playing an increasing role in Australia’s energy system, Allegro Energy’s locally manufactured MeFB could help address the need for reliable, long-duration storage while also supporting Australian manufacturing and supply chains.
