Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. Franziska Brantner visits VoltStorage

Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. Franziska Brantner visits VoltStorage

• Information tour by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection to the VoltStorage Iron Salt Battery
• Sustainable LDES development as a cornerstone for the base load capability of renewable energies

As part of her information tour to visit role models of innovation in the Greentech field, German Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. Franziska Brantner visited the research and development facilities of VoltStorage.

Dr. Franziska Brantner is Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection in Germany as well as Special Representative of the Federal Government for the implementation of the international initiative for greater transparency in the raw materials sector. Against this background, it was particularly interesting for her to gain insights into the work of VoltStorage in the field of environmentally friendly storage solutions for renewable energies. An additional topic was the opportunities and challenges facing Greentech startups like VoltStorage. These include location promotion and financing issues, the acceptance of innovation and transformation in the energy sector in general, as well as political framework conditions for the development of a market that is just in the phase of being established.

The Iron Salt Battery developed by VoltStorage is a revolutionary energy storage system based on the redox flow principle. In its use as a long-term storage solution - also known as Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) - the solution is primarily aimed at energy suppliers, grid operators, and large industrial companies. It enables wind and solar energy to become base load-capable and will help to decarbonize the grid. The Iron Salt Battery uses environmentally friendly and locally available raw materials such as iron and salt. Thus, it surpasses previous flexibility solutions such as gas power plants in terms of environmental friendliness, supply chain security, and cost-effectiveness. Not least because of these characteristics, the Iron Salt Battery is considered a potential game-changer for the energy transition.

Dr. Franziska Brantner is impressed by VoltStorage's work: "A young but very experienced and highly motivated team is pursuing the goal of developing green storage for green energy - without relying on critical materials. This holds enormous potential, especially when it comes to long-term resource availability and supply security. The fact that the approximately 70 employees come from almost 20 countries, and some have specifically relocated to Germany for this matter is evidence of the international competitiveness and attractiveness of our startup scene, especially in the Greentech sector. We are committed to maintaining and to strengthening this innovative power."

Jakob Bitner, Co-Founder and CEO of VoltStorage: "Our experience is that international energy providers and companies are more open-minded and progressive towards new technologies and innovations than comparable companies in Germany. However, if the energy transition is to succeed as a global task, everyone must become active. The innovative power of young companies is a valuable asset that must be preserved. Not only us, but also our potential partners and customers, therefore welcome it when politics creates a reliable framework that provides rules for a market design with investment and growth impulses."

VoltStorage was founded in 2016 and has almost ten years of experience in the field of environmentally friendly redox flow storage technology. Earlier this year, the company intensified its development work on the Iron Salt Battery by moving to a new location with larger research and development opportunities. The goal is to define pilot plants in cooperation with partners by the end of 2025. First collaborations, focusing on concrete decarbonization measures in the energy supply of larger industrial plants in the Middle East, were already agreed upon earlier this year.