An emerging enterprise specializing in durable battery technologies has forged a partnership with a tribe in the Pacific Northwest, aiming to produce state-of-the-art energy storage systems.
The Puyallup Tribal Enterprises has entered into a unique manufacturing agreement with Skip Technology, a company based in Portland, Oregon, and has become the principal investor in the startup’s latest funding round of $1.3 million. The partnership not only aligns with the tribe’s goals of diversifying its economy but also resonates with its cultural values and commitment to sustainability.
“Our cultural and values align,” expressed the CEO of Puyallup Tribal Enterprises. “It’s about making a global impact through environmentally friendly and sustainable opportunities while providing economic benefits and jobs to tribal members.”
Skip Technology was founded with the mission to solve a critical challenge posed by the adoption of intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind: storing generated electricity for use during non-generation hours.
Their solution lies in hydrogen bromine flow batteries, which can store surplus energy from clean sources and steadily discharge it over lengthy periods, outperforming traditional lithium batteries. The technology comprises tanks for the battery’s chemical components and cells where energy-producing reactions take place. Each battery system, housed in a 20-foot shipping container, can power an estimated 35 homes.
With ambitions to deploy these batteries in rural areas and businesses requiring dependable backup power and renewable energy support, the co-founders are also capitalizing on the advantages of bromine and hydrogen as cost-effective and readily available materials for battery production, avoiding the risks associated with lithium batteries.
Under the partnership, Puyallup Tribal Enterprises will manufacture the batteries, initially excluding the cells. The tribe brings experience in modifying shipping containers and will utilize a facility near the Tacoma waterfront for this purpose. Additionally, a new 140,000-square-foot facility in Fife will support further manufacturing ventures, with workforce training initiatives in the pipeline to prepare tribal members for upcoming job opportunities.
“We’ve been a gaming tribe for most of the last 20 years. So members, the tribal council, the board, they’re really excited about this,” stated the CEO, who is also a tribal member and CFO of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.
Skip Technology has also been the recipient of significant funding from federal grants and investment groups. The founders, both astrophysicists, were inspired to pursue hydrogen bromide batteries as an innovative alternative to the mature lithium battery market, applying their expertise and adapting research from MIT to their venture.
With a unique design featuring a liquid membrane to overcome the challenges of strong acids in battery operation, Skip Technology stands as a pioneering force alongside another Dutch company in the hydrogen bromine battery market. Meanwhile, not far from Skip Tech, another Oregon-based startup focuses on iron-based long-duration flow batteries, showcasing the region’s growing prominence in innovative energy storage solutions.
Skip Technology is gearing up for an initial technology test with a rural industrial business this fall, with a commercial prototype pilot planned for 2025. The team is driven by the urgency to provide grid-scale energy storage solutions, recognizing the need to refine designs through practical application and immediate deployment.
