APh ePower is a company specialized in the research and development of critical technology for aluminum battery. The company has recently been approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Science Park Review Board for establishment in the Southern Taiwan Science Park at Kaohsiung. The company plans to invest $NTD 298 million in the construction of the 1st generation plant, which is expected to be completed in the year 2020. The company expects to scale up its aluminum battery production capacity to capitalize on the potential billions of global energy storage business opportunity.
According to the Southern Taiwan Science Park Bureau, aluminum-ion battery has several advantages over conventional lithium-ion battery and lead-acid battery, such as faster charging and discharge rate, safety, longevity, weather-resistance and environmental friendly, and is suitable for use in transportation vehicles, large-scale energy storage, uninterrupted power system and energy storage products designed for use in harsh weather conditions. In recent years the ratio of renewable energy installations have increased annually, as well as demands for large energy storage systems to coordinate power usage and balance the burden on power grids. However, the safety of large energy storage systems have come under closer scrutiny, as there have been several accidents of explosions at lithium-ion factories and combustion of large lithium-ion battery systems. The issue of safety has become a key focus of battery technology development.
The battery system developed by APh ePower has passed the battery penetration tests without combusting; in addition, the fast charging and discharging characteristics of aluminum battery allow for creation of new business models and opportunities of collaboration, such as charging stands for electric vehicles, enabling the creation of a “Fast Charging Living Sphere”, bringing people a safer and more convenient transportation option. Aluminum battery can also add values to manufacturing equipment such as automated guidance vehicles (AGV) and stackers, realizing the convenience of smart-manufacturing, and enriching the automated machinery industry with innovative energy storage solution.
Sources from: Business Times