The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, along with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), was chosen by the agency for a demonstration project to validate an innovative long-duration energy storage system developed by battery manufacturer CMBlu Energy. The collaborative project aims to improve microgrids in cold climates and make fast charging of electric vehicles more affordable in underserved communities.

Over the course of the project, Argonne and INL will deploy and evaluate CMBlu Energy’s Organic SolidFlow™ battery technology. The materials used in the construction of these batteries are non-metallic and abundant, with a goal to build resilient and domestic supply chains. The batteries are targeted for community, industrial and utility-scale applications of medium and long duration.

The DOE's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) selected this initiative as one of six demonstration projects in September as part of a long-duration energy storage lab call.

The project aims to provide valuable insights for microgrids, which are often used in remote or critical infrastructure settings, such as hospitals. By demonstrating the effectiveness of CMBlu's Organic SolidFlow batteries, the project could bolster the resilience of microgrids by ensuring a constant power supply, even during extended outages or fluctuations in the main grid.

The project also seeks to make fast charging of electric vehicles more affordable in rural and underserved communities by reducing charging facility installation and operational costs.

The project will span two regions. In the Midwest, Argonne researchers plan to demonstrate the effectiveness of CMBlu’s Organic SolidFlow batteries at the lab’s Smart Energy Plaza. Argonne researchers will gather data and analyze how the technology can inform real-world scenarios.

At the INL Battery Test Center in Idaho, researchers will conduct performance tests, including assessing how well the Organic SolidFlow batteries perform at different temperatures. This rigorous testing is crucial to ensure the technology's reliability in diverse environments. The INL center serves as the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) primary center for battery life and performance testing.

Additional project partners include: Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Jensen Hughes, Drive Clean Indiana, and National Grid.

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