PetroChina Successfully Deploys First Self-Developed Vanadium Flow Battery in Extreme Environments
Date: 05 Nov 2024 |
Source: CNPC News, 5 November 2024
PetroChina has achieved a significant milestone with the successful deployment of its first independently developed vanadium flow battery system. Designed by the CNPC Tubular Goods Research Institute, this innovative energy storage solution has been implemented at the Huatuogu Production Base in the Qinghai Oilfield, demonstrating reliable off-grid green energy supply under extreme environmental conditions, marking a new era for green, zero-carbon oil production in remote oilfield sites.
The vanadium flow battery, a cutting-edge energy storage system that utilizes the redox reactions of vanadium ions, offers high-capacity, long-duration storage, superior safety, and an extended lifespan. Its modular design allows for independent scaling of power and capacity, making it ideal for storing renewable energy such as wind and solar power.
Faced with the unique energy demands of the oil and gas sector, the Institute’s energy storage team spent over three years conducting foundational research to overcome challenges in electrode activity, electrolyte stability, and interface resistance. Through these efforts, they have developed custom-designed vanadium flow battery prototypes of various power outputs. The result is an integrated power storage and supply solution that has been implemented at Qinghai Oilfield’s Yuebei Well 1, enabling both on-grid and off-grid renewable energy use.
In mid-October, with the support and cooperation of the Oil and Gas Process Research Institute, Exploration Division, and Production Team of the Qinghai Oilfield, the energy storage team from the CNPC Tubular Goods Research Institute deployed the new system in high-altitude, extreme-cold, purely off-grid environments. Utilizing a flexible DC microgrid topology and remote real-time monitoring, they achieved continuous green power supply without human supervision, even under challenging conditions of weak signals and the need for 24/7 operation.