A group of Manchester-based scientists have successfully secured over £2.5 million investment from The German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, SPRIND, to develop a lithium-free energy storage solution. This technology aims to provide a long-term energy storage solution that will aid the low-carbon energy transition, increasing the efficiency of environmentally sustainable technology. By negating the use of lithium, HalioGEN Power’s redox-flow battery technology has been created without using critical raw materials, thereby being environmentally friendly. Unlike other market-established technologies that use lithium, HalioGEN’s technology is capable of storing energy for more than ten hours with just one tank and one pump.
During the 18-month lab-to-market acceleration phase led by Professor Robert Dryfe and his collaboration with Dr Lewis Le Fevre, Dr Andinet Aynalem, and Dr Athanasios Stergiou, HalioGEN Power will focus on scaling and de-risking the technology prototype for commercial use. The team is already receiving expressions of interest from various organizations from the UK and Europe, including energy suppliers and energy solution providers keen on applying this environmentally sustainable technology.
“Our goal is to bring to market a new, disruptive energy innovation that helps address global energy transition and security challenges,” said Dryfe, who will oversee all activity during the development phase. SPRIND will provide HalioGEN Power with financial support and mentorship as part of its development phase. SPRIND is an initiative of the German Federal Government and has been established to create a space where innovators from Germany and neighbouring countries can take risks.
Professor Dryfe is also the co-founder of Molymem, a breakthrough water filtration technology that has already secured £1m in investment to scale up its technology.
