Flow Batteries Europe (FBE) is an international not-for-profit association aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation in Europe and globally by increasing the deployment of energy storage and flexibility solutions through flow battery technology. On 28 April 2021, 16 flow battery stakeholders came together to confirm the formation of FBE, a new industry association.

The main objectives of Flow Batteries Europe are:

• to promote the advantages of flow battery technologies and support the European supply chain;
• to accelerate the development and deployment of the flow battery value chain and scale up the technology via EU legislation, funding and energy storage projects.

During the first Statutory General Assembly, the funding members elected its first president, Mr Kees van de Kerk, Managing Director at Volterion. Kees stated: “I am looking forward to working with the Members to share with the European Institutions the benefits of flow batteries and how a strong flow battery industry can contribute to Europe’s climate goals”.

Kees welcomes three Vice-Presidents: Mr Tobias Janoschka (JenaBatteries), Mr Alexander Schönfeldt (CellCube) and Mr Paul Vollant (Largo Resources), as well as Mr Guillaume Chazalet (Kemiwatt) as Treasurer. “These individuals have enormous experience across all aspects of the flow battery industry, bringing their strengths to Flow Batteries Europe”, said Kees.

Anthony Price, the Secretary General of FBE, remarked: “Between 2010 and 2019, only 7% of the world’s flow battery projects were installed in Europe, with much more R&D and commercial support taking place in North America and Asia. Forming FBE is a great opportunity to ensure that Europe takes full advantage of this exciting, safe and efficient battery energy storage technology”.

Members

Flow Batteries Europe now has 16 members (5 research centres, 5 industry players, 5 start-ups and 1 association). FBE invites all European industrial and institutional organisations interested in actively promoting flow battery technologies to join. The founding members are:

Industry: CellCube; InEnergy; Largo Clean Energy; Voith; W.L. Gore & Associates Start-up: JenaBatteries; KEMIWATT; Pinflow energy storage; Vanevo; Volterion Research: CIC energiGUNE; CENELEST; Tekniker; University of Padua; ZHAW Association member: Vanitec