Investment: “Certain Energy raises £10M”
Certain Energy develops long-duration energy storage systems using manganese flow batteries and has raised £10 million in Series A funding to commercialise its technology and prepare it for grid-scale deployment. The round was led by the British Business Bank.
The round included participation from Centrica, Ceres Power Holdings and Temasek Trust’s Catalytic Capital for Climate and Health (C3H).
Founded in 2017 as a spin-off from Imperial College London and previously known as RFC Power, Certain Energy is developing long-duration energy storage systems designed to store renewable electricity and release it when production from sources such as wind and solar is low, helping to stabilise electricity grids, reduce renewable energy curtailment and limit reliance on gas-fired peaker plants.
The company is targeting this imbalance with flow batteries based on manganese — an abundant element the company says can provide a lower-cost alternative to materials used in other long-duration storage technologies. Unlike conventional batteries, flow batteries store energy in liquid electrolytes held in external tanks; Certain Energy’s system can extend discharge duration by increasing tank size, allowing storage and discharge over periods ranging from hours to days.
According to the company, its technology achieves round-trip efficiency of more than 75 per cent and is designed to compete with lithium-ion batteries for key grid services while providing longer-duration storage and reserve capacity. Its patented electrolyte is designed for a 20-year operating life with limited capacity degradation, and the company says its design and choice of materials could reduce marginal storage costs to around one-tenth of those associated with comparable vanadium flow batteries.
The Series A funding will support development of a grid-connected MWh-class system in India, the expansion of Certain Energy’s UK research facility, the development of a supply chain to support commercial deployments, and preparation of the technology for volume production and broader commercialisation.
