Allegro Energy – Microemulsion Flow Battery

The energy market faces a gap in long-duration storage, with lithium-ion technologies becoming inefficient beyond four hours. These systems are also costly, have increased flammability risks, and are difficult to recycle, raising long term sustainability concerns. Allegro Energy set out to solve these challenges by designing and commercialising a scalable, configurable flow battery powered by its proprietary microemulsion electrolyte. This innovation enables safe, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible long-duration energy storage. By overcoming the key limitations of existing technologies, Allegro’s solution supports broader renewable energy adoption through improved performance, reduced costs, and a fundamentally more sustainable approach to grid-scale energy storage.

To commercialise and implement this chemistry into a LDES solution, it required the design of a battery known as a Microemulsion Flow Battery. As this was not commercially available it would require a ground up design. Key to this were considerations for scalability, configurability, modularity and a focus on Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DFMA). With many of the battery components produced locally to the local Hunter region of NSW, another aim was to build long lasting and invaluable manufacturing partnerships. In turn, growing and advancing not only the energy sector but sovereign / local manufacturing as a value add.

The Allegro microemulsion flow battery has a significant impact on clean energy storage by offering a safe, scalable, and environmentally friendly alternative to lithium-ion systems. It also fills the gap that is seen in current energy storage solutions by offering a true long energy storage solution that surpasses current market offerings. Allegro’s water-based electrolytes reduce fire risk and environmental harm, while lower base material costs make long-duration energy storage more affordable. The scalable, configurable, and modular design enables flexible deployment across a range of applications, from community microgrids to large-scale renewable integration.

Key features of Allegro Energy’s Microemulsion flow battery (MeFB) design: •Water Based Microemulsion Electrolyte: A patented, non-flammable electrolyte made from low-cost, and abundant ingredients. It offers a safer alternative to conventional battery chemistries with reduced environmental impact. •Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES): Engineered for 4+ hour storage, making it ideal for supporting intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind. • Standardised 200 kW Rack Design: Each 200 kW battery rack includes four identical 50 kW modules, with each module housing twenty identical battery cells. The system is optimised for DFMA through part standardisation and symmetry for simplified production and assembly. •Modular, Scalable, and Configurable System Architecture: Designed to scale, from 100 kW / 800 kWh systems to 30 MW grid-scale installations by adding battery modules. Power and energy are decoupled, i.e. tank size determines duration, and battery rack array size defines power output. •Transport / DeployOptimised Form Factor: The battery racks fit within a standard 20" shipping container footprint, enhancing modularity and simplifying logistics and deployment. •Quick-Connect Cell Interface: Double O-ring male/female connectors link each battery cell to the electrolyte manifolds, allowing tool-free maintenance, fewer connection points, reduced leak risk, and improved serviceability.