Rolling unbroken mobile coverage out in remote parts of New Zealand can be a challenge. That’s because the population is small. Moreover, some residents live in villages in mountainous areas. The New Zealand Rural Connectivity Group (RCG) has therefore decided the best option is having flow batteries boost New Zealand telecoms in these places. We investigate the factors behind this decision.
Deep Cycling Capability Provides Flow Batteries Boost
We have closely examined Redflow’s redox flow technology, RCG spokesperson Richard Spencer assured Energy Storage. The head of procurement and commercial praised it for long life, deep cycling capability, and environmental benefits.
Rural Connectivity Group hopes to see flow batteries boost signals to 34,000 businesses and rural homes. The project will add another 600 miles of coverage to state highways necessitating construction of 400 new cell sites. Funding will come from a new levy, alongside an equivalent US48 million contribution from New Zealand network operators.
Integrating Redflow Batteries in a Telecoms Network
The RCG group will pair solar panels with the flow batteries, and back these up with diesel generators. The project completion deadline is December 2022, with the alpha site running by the end of 2019. We expect Redflow will provide technical guidance. However, the service provider is negotiating ‘a direct relationship’ for purchase of the batteries.
The zinc-bromine design beat its competition on account of rugged construction, and long-life technology. That’s because these factors should prove valuable in enhancing reliability and reducing maintenance in remote areas.
This should in turn cut run time of the diesel backup generators. Therefore, we are excited to see flow battery technology making these inroads.
We are delighted to see flow batteries boost their market penetration. That’s because they add an exciting new dimension to mass energy storage.
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Preview Image: Worlds Smallest Zinc-Bromine Flow Battery
