Amg Building Lithium-Vanadium Battery For Industrial Power Management

Amsterdam-based specialty materials producer AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group NV (AMS:AMG) on Monday announced that it will start the construction of its first lithium vanadium battery and has acquired a German software solutions expert to secure the battery management technology.

AMG is developing its “hybrid” lithium vanadium redox flow battery (LIVA) for industrial power management applications, touting it as a CO2-free alternative to stand-by diesel-based generators traditionally used in energy-intensive manufacturing.

The lithium part of its battery design enables fast discharging including black start abilities. The lithium battery is then recharged by the vanadium battery, which is charged by the grid, AMG explained.

The company said that it has acquired Heidelberg-based firm Phyr7 GmbH, which specialises in developing artificial intelligence-based power management solutions, to manage the LIVA battery.

Phyr7 will renamed LIVA Power Management Systems GmbH, and start a new life in Frankfurt with an initial capitalisation of EUR 5 million (USD 5.88m), AMG said.

The founder of Phyr7, Volker Koelln, will assume the position of the CEO of LIVA Power Management Systems.

The first LIVA battery system will be installed in one of AMG’s manufacturing plants in Germany. AMG Engineering will build the integrated system, AMG Titanium & Coatings will supply the vanadium electrolyte, while AMG Lithium is designing the lithium portion of the battery.

The company expects the LIVA system to go online in the first quarter of 2022.

www.ferroalloynet.com