AREVA and Schneider Electric to develop flow battery technology to produce and store electricity by combining hydrobromic acid and hydrogen

PARIS, 8-10-2014 — /EuropaWire/ — AREVA and Schneider Electric have signed an R&D agreement to develop a new energy storage solution, called the flow battery in order to produce and store electricity by combining hydrobromic acid and hydrogen.

Funded by the European Union*, the project aims to optimize the existing 50 kW flow battery prototype designed by EnStorage** to a 150 kW demonstration module. Under the cooperation agreement, both companies will test the flow battery technology under real conditions. The aim is to deliver a competitive and highly efficient solution for the integration of renewable energies.

AREVA will lead the project, manufacturing, integrating and installing the storage solution while Schneider Electric will design, manufacture and install the complementary power conversion system.

Louis-François Durret, AREVA Renewables CEO, said: “The energy storage market is fast-moving and highly competitive. In order to meet the energy needs of tomorrow AREVA is diversifying its technology portfolio with the flow battery technology and broadening its cooperation agreement with its partner, Schneider Electric.”

According to Frédéric Abbal, EVP of Schneider Electric’s Energy Business “This latest agreement with AREVA reinforces our commitment to develop safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green energy management solutions. This storage technology will provide the flexibility and stability needed to facilitate renewable integration.”

In February 2014, AREVA and Schneider Electric signed a strategic partnership agreement to market energy management and storage solutions based on hydrogen production and fuel cell technology with AREVA’s Greenergy Box™.

* As part of the KIC InnoEnergy FlowBox project to develop new technologies for sustainable energy
** EnStorage develops large scale energy storage solutions based on flow battery technology. www.enstorageinc.com

About Schneider Electric
As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in Utilities & Infrastructure, Industries & Machines Manufacturers, Non-residential Buildings, Data Centers & Networks and in Residential. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green, the Group’s 150,000 plus employees achieved sales of 24 billion euros in 2013, through an active commitment to help individuals and organizations make the most of their energy.
www.schneider-electric.com

About AREVA
AREVA supplies advanced technology solutions for power generation with less carbon. Its expertise and unwavering insistence on safety, security, transparency and ethics are setting the standard, and its responsible development is anchored in a process of continuous improvement.

Ranked first in the global nuclear power industry, AREVA’s unique integrated offering to utilities covers every stage of the fuel cycle, nuclear reactor design and construction, and operating services. The group is also expanding in renewable energies – wind, bioenergy, solar, energy storage – to become a European leader in this sector.

With these two major offers, AREVA’s 46,000 employees are helping to supply ever safer, cleaner and more economical energy to the greatest number of people.
www.areva.com