Redflow Batteries to Power Optus Mobile Tower in Daintree Rainforest

Australian energy storage company Redflow Limited (RFX) today has announced an order to provide six ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries for energy storage at an Optus mobile phone tower in the environmentally sensitive Daintree rainforest.

The Redflow ZBM2 batteries will store and supply 60 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy for the Optus mobile phone tower at Alexandra Range, in the Cape Tribulation section of the Daintree rainforest, a remote headland and ecotourism destination in Far North Queensland. Situated 1500km north of Brisbane, the Daintree National Park became a World Heritage Site in 1988.

Optus selected Redflow’s ZBM2 batteries for deployment at their Cape Tribulation site because of the batteries’ sustained energy storage capacity, tolerance of warm temperatures, remote management capability and environmentally-friendly design.

Redflow’s ZBM2 is a scalable 10 kilowatt-hour (kWh) zinc-bromine flow battery that can deliver 100 per cent depth of discharge each day for its warranted 10 years. The ZBM2 works in warm climates without external cooling, with its performance, safety and operational lifetime unaffected by ambient temperatures as hot as 50 degrees Celsius (122°F). Made from easily recycled or reused materials, the battery contains a zinc bromide electrolyte solution that can be cleaned and re-used after its operating life.

Redflow CEO Tim Harris said the Optus decision further demonstrated the value proposition that ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries delivered to enterprise customers including telecommunications companies. “Our batteries thrive on heat and hard work and are not prone to thermal runaway like other battery chemistries.  This Optus deployment, along with Hitech’s use of ZBM2 batteries for its digital television network rollout in Fiji, demonstrates how Redflow is establishing its credentials in the telecoms sector.”