Altech Batteries Unveils Safe UPS Battery System for European Gas and Hydrogen Pipelines

Altech Batteries (ASX: ATC), in partnership with global energy solutions company AMPower, has unveiled a new 384 volt / 15 kilowatt-hours (kWh) sodium nickel chloride uninterruptible power supply (UPS) battery system specifically for Europe’s gas and hydrogen pipeline infrastructure.

The major design development aims to deliver a safe, sustainable and commercially-robust energy storage solution for one of the world’s most demanding and safety-critical sectors.

Altech has already secured the first order and anticipates strong and rapid adoption across Europe.

Full Safety Certification

The new fireproof, explosion-proof, and maintenance-free batteries are fully certified to international safety standards for protecting workers and equipment in potentially explosive environments.

They offer reliable performance across extreme temperatures from minus 20° Celsius to 60°C, without the need for ventilation systems or external cooling equipment.

Altech’s system consists of three 136V sodium nickel chloride modules connected in series to produce a combined nominal voltage of 384VDC (volts direct current), with modules using advanced Zebra cell architecture incorporating 53 ceramic electrolyte cells, each delivering a stable nominal voltage of 2.56V.

The cabinet design is compatible with current battery management system (BMS) configurations and enables drop-in replacement, meaning that existing UPS cabinets and inverter systems remain compatible and there is no requirement for BMS reconfiguration due to voltage mismatches.

Altech expects this to translate into faster deployment, reduced engineering downtime, and a safer, more reliable power backup system.

Replacing Old Technology

The new design replaces lead-acid and nickel-cadmium batteries that can suffer from limited lifespans, hydrogen gas emissions, frequent maintenance, and sudden failure risk, as well as lithium-ion battery systems banned from explosion zones due to their flammable liquid electrolyte content.

Conventional batteries also require specialised housings, air conditioning or hydrogen venting infrastructure, which can add to capital and operating costs.

Altech has developed the system under the technical leadership of Chief UPS Back-up Systems Engineer Arnoud Blijleven, who brings two decades of experience in European critical power systems.

Mr. Blijleven will oversee extreme-condition testing to ensure CE/IEC compliance whilst aligning with customer needs.

For AMPower, the project represents a natural extension of its production expertise, and the move into 15 kWh / 384V systems will broaden its market reach and drive greater cell output efficiencies

European Gas Pipeline

Gas pipelines are the lifeblood of Europe’s energy system, carrying explosive gases across hundreds of thousands of kilometres at high pressure, monitored by control stations, compressors, valves and safety systems.

Every component in the chain depends on UPS systems to ensure that safety equipment, emergency lighting, fire and gas detection, communication networks, and critical control systems can function under all circumstances including grid outages or external shocks.

Europe’s gas pipeline infrastructure relies on UPS banks that are more than 20 years old with lead-acid batteries now failing or requiring costly maintenance.

Industry analysts have forecast the need for tens of thousands of battery replacements across the continent in the next decade.

Altech’s innovation represents at least an incremental improvement in UPS systems and a transformative solution for Europe’s heavy industry sector.