Electricity + Control May 2019

NOT TO BE MISSED

PowerGen Africa & Africa Utility Week 14-16 May 2019, Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town This exhibition and conference brings together global and local players involved in power generation and allied utilities services. Enquiries: email Tuhin.Quddus@clarionevents.com

Large-scale battery storage for the energy transition

Local Manufacturing Expo 21-23 May 2019, Nasrec Centre, Johannesburg

C MBlu Energy AG and MANN+HUMMEL GmbH have signed an agreement for the joint development and industrialisation of energy converters for organic redox flow batteries. The aim of the partnership is to develop the charging infrastructure and offer the energy sector a sustainable and cost-efficient storage technology that will support electric mobility and a successful energy transition. • Organic energy storage from CMBlu is based on the plant-derived lignin – a mostly unused resource which is readily available in bulk as a (waste) by-product from the pulp and paper industry. • MANN+HUMMEL provides expertise in the area of filtration and skills from auto- motive series production. From concept to production The business idea for redox flow batteries with organic electrolytes derived from lignin (‘organic flow’) was conceived in 2011. Since 2014, CMBlu has carried out intensive research and development. The batteries essentially consist of two tanks of liquid elec- trolyte and an energy converter, which comprises a number of adjacent rows of cells and is therefore also referred to as a battery stack. The liquids are pumped through the battery stacks and the battery is charged or discharged as required. The technology has now reached the prototype stage and the further development and industrialisation of the battery stack is being undertaken in terms of the coop- eration agreement between CMBlu and MANN+HUMMEL. MANN+HUMMEL has created a spin-off named i2M GmbH (innovation-to-market), which is dedicated to the development and commercialisation of innovative technologies. In the next step the company will build a complete production line in a European plant. CMBlu will realise special pilot projects with reference customers over the next two years. The plan is to market the first commercial systems starting in 2021. Benefits of organic flow batteries Based on a principle similar to that of conventional redox flow batteries, CMBlu’s or- ganic flow batteries store electrical energy in aqueous solutions of organic chemical compounds, which are pumped through the energy converter – the battery stack. The special feature of the flow batteries is that the capacity and electrical output can be scaled independently. The number of stacks defines the output of the batteries: a high- er number multiplies the output.The capacity of the battery is limited only by the size of the tanks. This allows flexible customisation to suit different applications. For example, solar power can be stored for several hours then fed into the grid at night. Applications in the grid Organic flow batteries are suitable for numerous applications in the power grid, such as the intermediate storage of power from renewable energy generation, or in the bal- ancing of demand peaks in industrial companies. An additional application area is in the charging infrastructure required for electric mobility.The batteries would enable a buffer storage to relieve power grids so they do not need to be upgraded for additional loads. They provide for fast charging of electric vehicles. Looking to the future, a decentralised charging network for electric vehicles will only be possible with a high performance and scalable energy storage system. For more information contact Stefan vonWestberg at CMBlu, email: stefan.von-westberg@cmblu.de, www.cmblu.com, or Patrick Löffel at MANN+HUMMEL, email: patrick.loeffel@mann-hummel.com, www.mann-hummel.com

The first Local Southern African Manufacturing Expo (LME), endorsed by the South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC), provides a platform for Southern African manufacturers to showcase their products and services and increase their market share locally and internationally. Enquiries: visit www.localmanufacturingexpo.co.za

Africa Automation Fair 4-6 June 2019, Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg

Africa Automation Fair will host the second edition of the Connected Industries Conference in line with growing international focus on Industry 4.0 and the advanced connected industries of the future. Enquiries: Tel. +27 (0) 11 549 8300 or email info@ africaautomationfair.com Engineering Community Conference – ECC 2019 12 June 2019, CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria Future-Proof: Engineering is shaping what the future will look like and is evolving as quickly as technology itself. This conference will explore whether your business, ideas, products and jobs are future-proof. Enquiries: Susan Kruger. Tel. +27 (0) 12 809 9500 or email s.kruger@esteq.com or visit ecc.esteq.co.za EV Future – E-Mobility Indaba 12-13 June 2019, Crystal Towers Marriott Hotel, Cape Town This two-day conference will present new industry technol- ogies, brainstorm ideas, share meanings and opinions and provide a networking opportunity for people involved with electric vehicles and related technologies. Enquiries: email m.papendorf@jukwaa.net, or visit www.evfuture.co.za This conference and exhibition, hosted in partnership with the South African Department of Trade & Industry, the Department of Science & Technology and the Manufac- turing Circle, representing the private sector, has proven its value in catalysing business connections and helping manufacturers to grow. Enquiries: visit www.manufacturingindaba.co.za KZN Industrial Technology Exhibition – KITE 2019 23-26 July, Durban Exhibition Centre, Durban The leading industrial technology exhibition for the KZN region happens only every two years. Enquiries: visit www.kznindustrial.co.za Beckhoff Product Training 2019 TwinCAT 3 and TwinCAT 2 training courses, monthly, to November 2019 Beckhoff Automation offers training for its system compo- nents such as TwinCAT 2, TwinCAT 3, IPCs, Embedded PCs, I/O and Motion products. The 3-day training courses are run at Beckhoff Training Centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. Enquiries: Visit www.beckhoff.co.za or email training@beckhoff.co.za Manufacturing Indaba 2019 25-26 June 2019, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg

40 Electricity + Control

MAY 2019