Australian company Infratech Industries, in collaboration with the University of Newcastle has launched a world-first ‘Energy-on-Demand’ system that overcomes the predictability and environmental issues that currently plague existing renewable energy and storage solutions.
The InfratechCLES (Chemical Looping Energy on Demand System) is a game-changing technology that will put the production, distribution and management of power, oxygen and hydrogen into the hands of the consumer.
Offering a solution to Australia’s ‘energy crisis’ – as described by Prime Minister the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP – the technology creates an entirely new category that allows for integrated power generation, oxygen generation (health and wellness), water heating, heating and cooling ventilation, and hydrogen.
There are no comparable systems in the world to the Infratech CLES system, according to Professor Behdad Moghtaderi of the University of Newcastle who is leading the technical development of this collaborative project.
Dr Rajesh Nellore, CEO and founder of Infratech Industries said that the impetus on energy storage systems, such as batteries, needs to be supplemented with impetus on the ability to generate energy when required, thereby creating “Energy on Demand”.
According to Dr Nellore, this, accompanied by other revenue generators such as oxygen, would be welcomed with open arms by commercial, retail and residential customers alike.
“What makes the Infratech CLES solution so unique is that it generates a multitude of benefits, has no negative impact on the environment, and it also improves the wellbeing and lifestyle of those who use it,” said Dr Nellore.
Inaugurating the system today at University of Newcastle’s Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER), Pat Conroy, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, reiterated the importance of Government and industry looking to alternate solutions to Australia’s looming energy crisis.
“This is truly Australian-made technology that has global applications and serves multiple needs for its customers,” said Mr Conroy. “If Australia is to reap the benefits of the clean energy industrial revolution, universities and businesses must collaborate to develop products that satisfy our energy needs while reducing our carbon emissions. And it is in that vein that I welcome Infratech’s ‘energy-on-demand’ system.”
The Infratech CLES process runs on natural gas for temperature balancing, which is the most reliable utility in many parts of the world, releasing only a third of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of fossil fuels and no intermittency compared with renewable energy sources.
“We also designed the Infratech CLES system for around the clock operation. In this mode, the system needs external heat to maintain reactions within the particle mixture. The heat can be supplied by either natural gas, electricity from renewable energy sources, by the system itself or in any combination,” said Dr Nellore.