Made in Thailand: The redflow battery

[Muhendis]

Flow batteries rarely, if ever, get a mention on consumer level news. That is probably due to the high capital outlay required to make the initial purchase.

What is a flow battery?

Very simply, a flow battery is two tanks full of fluids one positively charged and the other negatively charged.

These fluids are pumped through a special filter which removes some of the charge to power external electrical circuits.

The fluids are recharged when they get depleted. 

There is an Australian company with a flow battery manufacturing facility in Thailand that has secured a contract to build a 15 MWh microgrid battery for a company in America.

Well done them.

https://mailchi.mp/redflow.com/redflow-progressing-multiple-commercial-opportunities-1366002?e=0595a5331a

[Bandersnatch]

6 years ago while I was researching battery options I contacted Redflow and they gave me details of their reseller here in Thailand.

 

Items manufactured in Thailand but made in factories located in free trade zones which are designed to encourage exports are treated as imported when they enter Thailand proper and taxed as such.

 

I was quite interested in Redflow’s ZBM2 10kWh zinc-bromine flow battery made in Thailand.

 

The price to purchase after it had been shipped from Thailand to Australia was ฿260,439 but in Thailand where it was manufactured, the price was ฿550,000

 

I bought some cheap deep cycle gel batteries instead and a few years later paid ฿69,000 for an equivalent sized LFP battery. 

[Muhendis]

2 minutes ago, Bandersnatch said:

6 years ago while I was researching battery options I contacted Redflow and they gave me details of their reseller here in Thailand.

 

Items manufactured in Thailand but made in factories located in free trade zones which are designed to encourage exports are treated as imported when they enter Thailand proper and taxed as such.

 

I was quite interested in Redflow’s ZBM2 10kWh zinc-bromine flow battery made in Thailand.

 

The price to purchase after it had been shipped from Thailand to Australia was ฿260,439 but in Thailand where it was manufactured, the price was ฿550,000

 

I bought some cheap deep cycle gel batteries instead and a few years later paid ฿69,000 for an equivalent sized LFP battery. 

Yep.

I went down that route also.

I seem to remember the retailer was in Chiang Mai and he seemed quite apologetic when discussing the price, but that was before they were manufactured in Thailand.

The advantage of the Redox battery is, it will last for 20 years before fluids and/or filters need changing.

Also the battery can be frequently discharged to 0% with no ill effects.

I now use lead carbon gel batteries. That is a capital outlay which is within reach of my short arms and deep pockets.