EnerVenue deploys AMC storage at China bus site

This marks the first real-world deployment of the AMC tech.

Hong Kong and China Gas (Towngas) and EnerVenue have commissioned a pilot deployment of fourth-generation Aqueous Metal Cell (AMC) energy storage technology at an electric bus charging station in Jintan, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.

Towngas Smart Energy operates at a solar-powered site in Jintan District, marking the first real-world deployment of EnerVenue’s AMC technology.

The modular Energy Rack system uses 50 AMCs and provides 150 kilowatt-hours of storage capacity.

It also supports two- to four-hour daily charge and discharge cycles and integrates on-site solar generation to supply electricity for bus charging operations.

The AMC technology offers a lifespan at least five times longer than lithium-ion batteries and operates in temperatures from -20°C to +60°C. It does not use lithium materials or toxic electrolytes and is designed for recycling at end of life.

In further comparison, lithium-ion batteries generally operate across 6,000 to 8,000 charge and discharge cycles and require rest periods between cycles, whilst the AMC system is designed for continuous cycling without similar constraints.

Peter Wong Wai-yee, Managing Director of Towngas, said durable and safe grid-scale storage supports renewable energy deployment and cost efficiency in energy systems.

EnerVenue said it targets commercial, industrial and grid-scale applications.

It said it plans additional demonstration systems with partners in other markets and expansion of manufacturing capacity in Changzhou, China, including a planned 250-megawatt-hour production line.