Altech has locked in a second offtake agreement, this time from Referenzkraftwerk Lausitz (Reflau), a renewable energy project in Germany, to supply it with 158MWh of energy storage capacity across 5 years from its remarkable Cerenergy sodium chloride batteries that run on salt.
Only a few days ago Altech revealed it has received interest from debt funders to partially finance its manufacturing facility in Germany.
Jointly owned by two German renewable energy utility companies, Enertrag and Energiequelle, Reflau will initially purchase 30 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy storage capacity in the first year and then increase the order to 32MWh annually for a further four years.
After receiving 28.5 million euros from the European Union in 2023, Reflau was established at Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park in Lusatia, a German region which has always relied on coal for its industrial power needs.
The project’s primary aim is to construct a modern power plant which exclusively uses renewable energy sources, including wind, solar and green hydrogen which can then be integrated into the electricity, transportation, industry and heating grids. Altech’s batteries will be used to store electricity and improve grid stability which may otherwise be disrupted by intermittent wind or solar energy supply.
With construction due to begin shortly, the power plant is scheduled to start operations in the first quarter of 2026.
If successful, the plant will be held up as the standardised working model for a future decentralised energy system, or “hybrid power island” which could be deployed throughout Europe, powered by 80MW of solar and wind energy and supported by Altech's Cerenergy batteries.
As part of the deal Altech will then buy green electricity from Reflau to power its own planned battery production plant.
The initial rollout is scheduled for late 2026, contingent upon the commissioning of Altech’s production facility and allowing for completion of the Reflau power plant.
Altech Batteries CEO Iggy Tan said: “The interest shown by RefLau in Altech’s technology is a clear signal of growing demand for innovative energy storage solutions, particularly as industries shift toward 100% renewable energy. This second Letter of Intent marks a significant milestone for Altech Batteries as it represents our second offtake agreement for the CERENERGY® GridPack Battery Energy Storage System and more so means that the first two years of production is spoken for and 50% of the 3 following years”
Altech’s cutting-edge Cerenergy technology, which management says offers a safer and more sustainable alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries, has been developed in collaboration with Germany's Fraunhofer IKTS.
By using sodium chloride - the basic ingredient of table salt - in the solid-state batteries, Altech is able to build its batteries lithium-free, cobalt-free, resistant to extreme conditions and with a life span of more than 15 years, making them ideal for renewable energy applications.
In addition to rapidly pushing Cerenergy towards commercialisation, Altech also has one eye on using its proprietary knowledge of battery technology to improve the durability of conventional lithium-ion batteries.
By adding silica to its batteries, the company has been able to extend the battery life while delivering a 30 per cent improvement in energy. Not only are its “Silumina” anodes smaller and lighter than the existing models, which improves vehicle efficiency, the technology will also help ease “range anxiety” - often cited as a major reason for electric vehicle buyer reluctance - because of the added power capacity.
As a leader in mass energy storage technology, Altech’s hard work to this point appears to be starting to pay off. It is now seeing clear evidence of a commercial application for its sodium chloride solution, with more than one offtake agreement arriving at its doorstep recently.
It also appears to be making significant headway with funding for its proposed production facility in Germany. 2025 is looking as though it could well become a breakout year for the budding mass energy storage provider.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
By James Pearson
