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ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, Industry Partner to Test Battery Technology for Rural Power

The University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Fairbanks and industry partner Ambri will collaborate on a project to demonstrate a new battery technology that could lower the quantity of diesel consumed for generating electriciy in rural ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.

The $1.5 million project, funded by a $749,000 grant from the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Energy Authority and matching funds from Ambri and the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Center for Energy and Power, will use a liquid metal battery developed by Ambri. The battery is designed to provide needed energy storage and increase system reliability, enabling communities to shift toward renewable resources such as wind and solar for power generation.

"Ambri's LMB technology has the potential to be a game changer for ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, providing reliable and economic solutions for ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ's renewable energy systems," said Marc Mueller-Stoffels, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ researcher and the project's lead investigator.

Phase one of the grant will test a 35 kWh battery at ACEP's Power Systems Integration laboratory in Fairbanks. The lab was built in 2011 on the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ campus to mimic communities with hybrid diesel power and is ideal for testing early-production equipment like Ambri's battery. After lab testing, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ and Ambri will install a larger 100 kWh battery module in Eagle, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ. The installation, in partnership with ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Power and Telephone, will test the battery under challenging conditions and in conjunction with a solar array.

The benefits of Ambri's liquid metal battery include the abundance and low cost of core materials, moderate to low toxicity compared to other battery chemistries, flexible operations in extreme environments and an expected cycle life of 20 years.

"Ambri is excited to bring its energy storage technology to serve ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ's power system needs," said Phil Giudice, Ambri's president and chief executive officer. "With Marc and the team at ACEP, we look forward to demonstrating the practical application of Ambri's technology and unlocking the potential for lower-cost, safe, reliable and sustainable electricity systems in ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, and leading the way for a better energy future for ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, the U.S. and the world."

For more information on Ambri's battery technology, go to http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hl-Tn3VFSw_xpRdhO1rkrYIMj7AD-SJ6UjFKRH5auPoKd0EmaI_CRJIrKppFl132NDZJRKAXceXwVwAhLipb2BXpho2X-DG5zvCdTF4fqEU-dcZynBUQ2nnqhNAR_WEJE2qgEgs3yajDohyCBANKbLPmL3N1SXz6GYBIcSFUlVdwaNO6m0QYsRuViEecpRCSerG54slmQp7CKVpTXeL1__vmULo_TPJi&c=1K0wpSMIuUevajmP2X59LJoW-MsefQV0hoOf0tUxjCAwRHb7ksleqA==&ch=vBpP3QUoNRPDnUCzEF55temCT-xUTDXR5_L4Zs01R8eJuiK0SuNGKw==

Logo courtesy of Ambri.