“As an example of metal hydrogen batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries have proven to be an incredibly powerful energy storage technology – albeit an expensive one – for the aerospace industry over the past 40 years,” said Dr. Yi Cui, a professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University, and founder, chairman of the board and chief technology advisor, EnerVenue. “The performance and longevity of nickel-hydrogen batteries is well-established and second to none. We’re now able to deliver the same performance and durability at a breakthrough competitive price using new low-cost materials.”
Renewable energy generation is expected to account for more than half the world’s power supply by 2035, rising to 75% by mid-century. The cost of lithium-ion batteries has decreased quickly and markedly, enabling more enterprises and utilities to harness renewable energy sources at scale. However, lithium-ion batteries – as well as lead acid or redox flow alternatives – incur relatively high operating expenses, struggle in extreme hot or cold climates, have a limited lifespan, and can impose safety and environmental challenges. The EnerVenue’s metal-hydrogen batteries can last more than 30 years, with cost-per-kilowatt-hour cycles as low as a penny.
“Ultra-long battery life with zero maintenance requirements even in the harshest climates is game-changing for stationary use cases such as solar plants in hot desert environments, wind farms, and micro-grids in difficult-to-reach locations,” said Jorg Heinemann, CEO, EnerVenue.
The EnerVenue metal-hydrogen batteries are developed for large-scale renewable and storage applications and designed to be:
The seed round is led by Dr. Peter Lee, chairman of Towngas, a leading energy company in Asia with 158 years of history, and includes Doug Kimmelman, founder of Energy Capital Partners.
“Most analysts predict our overall energy mix shift to at least 75% renewable by 2050,” said Kimmelman. “The world has been assuming a major battery breakthrough to support that shift. EnerVenue will be one of the companies delivering the energy storage breakthroughs we need.”
EnerVenue was founded out of EEnotech, a materials-focused startup foundry that incubates and accelerates nanotechnology-driven solutions to water purification, grid-scale energy storage, smart wearable textiles and other energy and environment problems. Meng Sui, CEO of EEnotech said “EEnotech has established a mechanism to source breakthrough technologies from top institutions and develop fast into commercial prototypes with capital efficiency. EnerVenue is a great example.”
