The HORTA Project Pioneers Organic Flow Batteries
The European long-duration energy storage sector is witnessing a significant technological shift with the HORTA project, an initiative under Moonshot Flanders. The consortium is developing a groundbreaking non-aqueous, organic redox flow battery designed to provide between 6 to 24 hours of energy storage. This technology aims to effectively buffer renewable energy surpluses and bridge extended periods without solar or wind production.
Reducing Geopolitical Supply Chain Risks
A primary driver for the HORTA project is the urgent need to reduce Europe's geopolitical dependency on vanadium. Currently, approximately 75% of the world's vanadium is produced in China and Russia, exposing the supply chain to significant price volatility and ecological mining impacts. By replacing vanadium with a novel organic active material, the project intends to manufacture the core components locally within existing European chemical plants.
The HORTA consortium combines deep expertise in electrochemistry and organic chemistry to create a sustainable, locally sourced alternative for long-duration grid storage.
Led by project manager Bart Mantels at research institute VITO, the consortium brings together a powerful alliance of academic and industrial partners. Key collaborators include KU Leuven, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and the University of Antwerp. Together, they are working to ensure this non-aqueous organic redox flow battery becomes the first of its kind to successfully reach the commercial market.
If successful, the HORTA project will not only secure a resilient domestic supply chain for long-duration energy storage in Europe but also establish a new standard for environmentally friendly, geographically independent battery technologies. This represents a critical step toward a fully decentralized and secure renewable energy infrastructure.
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