FBNA hosts more than 150 delegates at inaugural event in Chicago
CHICAGO — Battery industry executives, researchers, and innovators gathered in Chicago on Oct. 27 to 29 for the inaugural Flow Batteries North America (FBNA) conference, hosted by Battery Council International (BCI) in partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
The first event in North America devoted exclusively to flow battery technology, the event marked a major milestone in the evolution of grid-scale energy storage. More than 150 individuals attended the event, which took place at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown. Delegates included utilities and grid operators, battery manufacturers and suppliers, project developers/EPC firms, research institutions and national labs, energy policy and regulatory experts, as well as investors and analysts.
“Decoupling power and energy delivery is at the frontier of long-duration energy storage, and no other technology can separate these functions as efficiently as flow batteries,” said Scott Childers, the Vice President of the Essential Power division of Stryten Energy and the chairman of Battery Council International’s Flow Battery Industry Group. “FBNA provided the perfect platform for the industry to discuss the latest innovations and market trends, and to look ahead to the bright future of flow battery technology.”
Resilience and long duration storage
With aging U.S. energy infrastructure and the energy-intensive needs of data centers (e.g., enterprise, hyperscale, AI generation, etc.) and increased stress from renewable power integration as well as resilience was a key theme at the FBNA conference.
The conference program featured keynote presentations and panel sessions covering advanced electrolyte chemistry, next-generation membranes, real-world flow battery projects, permitting and funding strategies, and commercialization.
Among the featured speakers were Doug Scott, Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission, and Vincent Sprenkle, Strategic Advisor for Energy Storage at PNNL and cochair of the FBNA organizing committee.
In addition, the event offered an exclusive behind the scenes tour of G&W Electric’s CellCube facility in Bolingbrook, Illinois — one of the most advanced vanadium redox flow battery systems in the U.S., which combines solar power and long duration energy storage.
Flow battery adoption and innovation
Flow batteries continue to gain recognition as a key solution in long-duration energy storage, thanks to reliability as well as the potential for cost-effective integration.
While lithium ion technology has dominated stationary storage for shorter duration needs, flow batteries bring advantages for longer duration applications: scalability, potentially lower degradation, and separation of energy and power units.
The success of the first ever Flow Batteries North America conference was a tangible sign that there is growing commercial momentum around flow battery technologies. With utilities under pressure to decarbonize and at the same time deliver resilience and reliability, companies that can deploy and scale flow systems may find new market opportunities.
By convening manufacturers, utilities, researchers and investors, the event was an important milestone in the continuing deployment and commercialization of flow battery systems in North America.
“Battery Council International is committed to solving the energy storage challenges of the future, and flow batteries have an important role to play in that mission,” said BCI President and Executive Director Roger Miksad. “We were pleased to see so many engaged participants at this first-ever event in North America, and BCI looks forward to showcasing the continued growth and success of the flow battery industry at future FBNA events.”
A very special thank you to our FBNA Founding Sponsors: Stryten Energy (Diamond), Sumitomo Electric (Gold), CleanTech Strategies (Silver), Leidos (Silver), Kustan (Bronze), ENTEK (Welcome Reception Bar), CellCube (Facility Tour).
