Salgenx Research and Development Available for Acquisition

Saltwater Flow Battery Intellectual Property Available for Acquisition

Infinity Turbine LLC is selling it's Salgenx division.

This includes, but not limited to:

• $1.2 Billion USD Customer Pre-Order Interest List

• Research and Development Notes

• Intellectual Property (IP)

• Licensing of Modular Blocks for Electrolyzer

• Licensing of Salgenx Saltwater Lift and Circulation Lift Pump for Electrolyzer and Flow Battery Dynamics (Disc Pump Design)

• 3 Years of Project Business Development

• Press Releases

• Salgenx name, domain, website, and email account

• Off-the-shelf Flow Battery and Electrolyzer Supplier Parts

• Market Ready Anode

• List of Scientists for Cathode Materials

• Electrode Coating using Commercial Laser Engravers and Powdercoating Technique (low cost manufacturing)

• Commercialization Plan and Strategy

• Future Proof Cathode Materials (including Bamboo Precursors)

• Future Proof Applications (including Graphene Production, Desalination, and Green Limestone Processing-to-lime-water Cement)

• TESS Thermal Energy Storage

Please email or call for details.

Email: Salgenx Business Acquisition

De-Resking the Technology

Path to Commercialization by Salgenx

Fastest Path to a 3 MWh Grid-Scale Saltwater Flow Battery: Zinc-Chlorine vs NTP-Based Architectures

Which saltwater flow battery chemistry reaches grid-scale commercialization first? This article compares zinc metal and NTP-based chlorine flow batteries across cost, efficiency, manufacturing complexity, and bankability to determine the fastest and most cost-effective path to a 3 MWh system.

Introduction

Grid-scale energy storage increasingly demands systems that are safe, low-cost, scalable, and free from constrained materials. Saltwater flow batteries, particularly chlorine-based systems, have re-emerged as a compelling alternative to lithium-ion due to their use of abundant materials, non-flammable electrolytes, and long cycle life.

Recent research has demonstrated a membrane-free chlorine flow battery architecture with exceptionally low projected material cost.

Within this platform, two negative electrode strategies emerge as candidates for commercialization:

1. Zinc metal negative enabled by a ZnCl2 additive

2. NaTi2(PO4)3 (NTP) intercalation negative without zinc additive

This article evaluates both approaches for a 3,000 kWh grid-scale containerized system and determines which offers the fastest, lowest-risk, and most cost-effective path to market.

System Architecture Overview

Both battery variants share a common core architecture:

• Aqueous NaCl electrolyte

• Chlorine redox at the positive electrode

• Closed-loop chlorine handling using an immiscible organic carrier

• Membrane-free stack design

• Modular stacks arranged into a roughly 900 V DC bus

The primary difference lies in the negative electrode chemistry and its implications for voltage, efficiency, manufacturing, and cost.

Option A: Zinc-Chlorine Flow Battery with ZnCl2 Additive

Electrochemistry

• Positive: Cl2 / Cl minus

• Negative: Zn2 plus / Zn metal

• Nominal cell voltage: approximately 1.9 V

Adding ZnCl2 to the electrolyte enables reversible zinc plating and stripping, replacing the need for a solid-state intercalation cathode.

Manufacturing and Commercial Advantages

• Zinc metal is a commodity material available as sheet, foil, or plated substrates (it is also available at Home Depot).

• Electrode fabrication is simple and scalable

• No high-temperature ceramic synthesis or vapor deposition steps

• Aligns with historical zinc-halogen battery manufacturing experience

The zinc electrode can be designed as a serviceable component, enabling predictable maintenance rather than end-of-life replacement.

Risks

• Zinc dendrite formation must be controlled through current density, flow design, and electrolyte management

• Coulombic efficiency must be validated at scale

Option B: Chlorine Flow Battery with NTP Cathode

Electrochemistry

• Positive: Cl2 / Cl minus

• Negative: NaTi2(PO4)3 (NTP)

• Nominal cell voltage: approximately 1.8 V

NTP is a NASICON-type insertion material offering good rate capability and stable cycling.

Manufacturing and Commercial Challenges

• NTP synthesis requires high-temperature calcination

• Conductive carbon coating is necessary, typically involving additional thermal processing or vapor deposition

• Powder processing and electrode fabrication add complexity and capital cost

While technically elegant, NTP introduces a more complex supply chain and slower ramp to volume production.

Costed BOM Comparison for a 3 MWh Container

Using the Nature Communications estimate of approximately $5 per kilowatt-hour as a floor for active materials, and legacy zinc-chlorine plant data as a balance-of-plant sanity check, the following system-level costs emerge:

• Zinc-Chlorine system total installed cost: approximately xxxxx dollars

• NTP-based system total installed cost: approximately xxxxx dollars

This corresponds to:

• Zinc system: approximately xx dollars per kWh installed

• NTP system: approximately xxx dollars per kWh installed

In both cases, balance-of-plant, power electronics, and safety systems dominate total cost, not the electrochemistry itself.

Efficiency and Cost-Per-Delivered-kWh

Efficiency must be evaluated alongside capital cost to assess true economic performance.

• NTP-based systems have demonstrated laboratory-scale energy efficiency exceeding 90 percent

• Zinc-based systems typically operate in the 70 to 75 percent range when system parasitics are included

When adjusted for efficiency:

• Zinc system effective cost per delivered kWh: approximately xx to xx dollars

• NTP system effective cost per delivered kWh: approximately xx to xxx dollars

This indicates that while NTP offers higher efficiency, the zinc system compensates with lower upfront cost and faster manufacturability.

Fastest Path to Market Assessment

From a commercialization standpoint, the decisive factors are manufacturability, supply chain simplicity, and execution risk.

• Zinc metal electrodes eliminate the need for specialty ceramic powders and carbon coating processes

• Anodes are already mass-produced industrial components

• The zinc system supports a service-based maintenance model familiar to utilities

The NTP system, while attractive for future optimization, introduces additional process steps that slow time to first deployment.

Commercial Verdict

For a first-generation, grid-scale saltwater flow battery:

• The zinc-chlorine system with ZnCl2 additive is the fastest to market

• It offers the lowest installed cost

• It presents the least manufacturing risk

• It enables early revenue and field validation

The NTP-based system is best positioned as a second-generation or premium offering once manufacturing scale and customer confidence are established.

Conclusion

Saltwater flow batteries based on chlorine chemistry present a credible, scalable alternative to lithium-ion for long-duration grid storage. Between the two leading negative electrode options, zinc metal offers the most direct path to commercialization for a 3 MWh containerized system. Its simplicity, cost advantage, and alignment with existing industrial practices outweigh the efficiency advantage of NTP in early deployments.

A dual-track strategy is recommended: deploy zinc-based systems first to capture market share and operational data, while continuing development of NTP-based systems for future high-efficiency products.

References

1. Hou et al. High Energy and Low Cost Membrane Free Chlorine Flow Battery. Nature Communications, 2022.

2. Detroit Edison and Energy Development Associates. Zinc Chlorine Battery Utility Study and Cost Analysis, 1976 to 1977.

3. Bard and Faulkner. Electrochemical Methods Fundamentals and Applications. Wiley.

4. U.S. Department of Energy. Grid Energy Storage Technology and Cost Characterization Reports.

Salgenx LLC • Design • Develop • Analysis TEL: 1-608-238-6001 Email: greg@salgenx.com

CONTACT TEL: +1 608-238-6001 (Chicago Time Zone) Email: greg@salgenx.com (Standard Web Page) | PDF