ArcActive launches lead-acid battery pilot at Deakin

ArcActive has launched a lead-acid battery pilot at Deakin University's Waurn Ponds campus in Geelong, Australia, with support from Origin Energy. The system operates at the university's Renewable Grid-Connected Battery Testing Facility within its renewable energy microgrid.

Testing commercial storage

The New Zealand company uses a fabric framework to support the battery's active material and aims to extend cycling life. Chief executive Stuart McKenzie wants to simplify deployment, including engineering, approvals, insurance and safety requirements.

Microgrid context and company milestones — Campus context and company plans

ArcActive is targeting businesses storing solar electricity for later use during expensive grid-power periods. Origin's Bill Truscott sees trials as a way to assess technologies for commercial and industrial customers. The pilot provides a testing environment for the redesigned system.

An established campus research setting

Deakin developed its campus microgrid with AusNet Services and Mondo Power. By May 2021, its research infrastructure combined several energy assets:

A seven-megawatt solar farm.
A grid-connected, megawatt-scale lithium iron phosphate battery.
Rooftop solar generation and storage with 0.25 megawatts of solar capacity.

ArcActive

The Microgrid Visualisation Centre in Deakin's Centre for Advanced Design in Engineering Training formed part of the Geelong Future Economy precinct. Early research included a digital twin for operations, recycling photovoltaic materials, grid stability services and cybersecurity. The university also envisaged industry testing of new solar panels, batteries and optimisation models, alongside training and internship opportunities.

Earlier manufacturing plans

In April 2024, ArcActive was raising A$65 million to commercialise its battery technology. McKenzie envisaged a factory in Queensland or Victoria costing A$30 million. The proposal targeted annual capacity of 600 megawatt-hours, equivalent to 30,000 battery packs rated at 20 kilowatt-hours each.

Under the April 2024 proposal, Australian manufacturing and sales were targeted for October 2026. McKenzie expected factory fit-out to take 12 months, followed by six months of testing.