UK solar energy company invests in gel-based batteries

Armstrong Energy, a major utility-scale solar energy company in the UK, has made an $11 million commitment to University of Sydney spin-off company Gelion. The arrangement will see the London-based company invest in the start-up’s ambitious plan to make commercially viable, nanostructured, gel-based batteries.

Gelion is the brainchild of renewable energy and catalysis expert Professor Thomas Maschmeyer, who is also the director of the soon-to-be-launched Australian Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology. The company relies on Professor Maschmeyer’s breakthrough design of nanostructured gels aimed at significantly outcompeting current lithium-ion technology in terms of charging/discharging speeds, size, safety, durability and price.

The initial market is storage in buildings — both residential and commercial. As explained by Professor Maschmeyer, “The idea is to build houses with batteries inherently included as part of their structure, ready to take advantage of rapidly improving, solar energy technology and also to serve as a buffer for the grid, enabling an ever greater share of renewables to be connected while grid stability is maintained.”

Now that a major international investment has been secured, a full commercial demonstration prototype could be developed within four years. This would enable subsequent engineering for mass production, readying the development for broad commercial introduction.

Image caption: Professor Thomas Maschmeyer. Image credit: University of Sydney.