Bromine Battery Could Cut ICL Operating Costs 16%
Energy storage company ICL has installed a bromine-based battery at its fire retardant production site in Rancho Cucamonga, California. It has been estimated that ICL may experience a 16% reduction in its annual operating expenses there because of the battery system, mostly by lowering power demand during peak hours.
“The deployment of our energy storage technology at our facility in California is ICL’s next step in our commitment to the growth of energy storage technologies. Effective energy storage is vital for reducing the impact of energy consumption on the environment through improved efficiency and successful deployment of renewable sources. ICL’s bromine-based energy storage technology presents a financial growth area for our business while also delivering environmental and social benefits,” explained Stefan Borgas, CEO of ICL.
Bromine is an element found in sea water and the earth’s crust. At room temperature, it is a liquid and has a brownish-red color. Bromine is in abundant supply naturally, so using it to make batteries might be cost-effective. ICL is the world’s largest supplier of this element, so it already obviously has the knowledge and skills to work with it well (and a good materials cost).
Of course, one of the most striking aspects of this situation is that the manufacturer of the bromine battery is using it within it business operations. Additionally, ICL works with bromine in manufacturing its other products. At the Rancho Cucomonga facility, Phos-Chek is produced, a product that helps manage fires in large spaces, such as wild lands and in cities.
Details about the battery system’s specs so far seem to be scant. In a video, it is stated the ICL’s bromine battery could have twice the battery life and more than two times the discharge time of a comparable lithium-ion one. The electrolyte is also located outside the battery and the materials are nontoxic and recyclable.
ICL has about 14,000 employees worldwide, including at sites in the US, Israel, Japan, and China.
Image Credit: ICL
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