Jena Flow Batteries

What Jena Flow Batteries does

Jena Flow Batteries GmbH is a Jena, Germany-based developer and supplier of metal-free redox flow battery systems for stationary long-duration energy storage. The company was founded in autumn 2023 by Suqian Time Energy Storage Technology Co., Ltd. (a Chinese flow battery manufacturer) following the insolvency-driven acquisition of JenaBatteries GmbH's assets and patents. Its product line spans containerized flow battery modules (starting at 1 MWh) in iron-chromium, vanadium, and organic (metal-free) chemistries, warehouse-scale hundred-MWh systems, AEM water electrolyzers for hydrogen production (100 kW, 1 MW, 5 MW), and OEM components (bipolar plates, graphite felts, membranes, stacks). Differentiated technical characteristics include water-based organic electrolytes using only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, non-flammable storage (no thermal runaway risk), independent scaling of power and capacity, and 4-12+ hour storage durations.

The company operates a four-pronged business model: (1) project-based hardware sales of flow battery systems to utilities, renewable energy operators, and industrial customers; (2) hardware sales of AEM electrolyzer systems to hydrogen producers; (3) OEM component supply to other flow battery manufacturers; and (4) a planned CERQ-branded managed service model. Commercial development relies on direct enterprise sales and strategic distribution partnerships: with Suqian Time Energy Storage providing gigawatt-scale manufacturing, Suqian Green Hydrogen Technology supplying AEM electrolyzer technology, and Uniper providing European utility access ahead of planned 2026 market entry. The company has 1-10 employees, leverages over 100 registered patents and EUR 10 million in cumulative R&D at the parent level, and is preparing for European commercial launch in 2026 with pilot deployments already operational in China (Suqian Jingtai 200 kW/1200 kWh; Fujian Luoyuan/China Huaneng 200 kW/400 kWh; Ordos 5 MW/20 MWh).

Name

Jena Flow Batteries

Legal name

Jena Flow Batteries GmbH

Website

https://jenaflowbatteries.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jena Flow Batteries GmbH develops metal-free organic redox flow battery systems for stationary long-duration energy storage, serving utilities, renewable energy operators, and industrial customers across Europe and Asia with containerized modules, warehouse-scale systems, and AEM electrolyzers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stationary Energy Storage Systems

NAICS

Battery Manufacturing (33591)

akta.pro primary industry

Electrochemical LDES (Flow Batteries & Other Long-Duration Batteries) (EUAFADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Battery Modules & Packs (Industrial/Commercial pack assembly) (IMAGAHAB), Battery Pack Manufacturing & Module Assembly (EUAFABAI)

Keywords

• Redox flow batteries
• Stationary energy storage
• Long duration storage
• AEM water electrolyzers
• Metal-free battery systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Jena

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Flow Battery Systems (Modules and Large-scale Storage): Sale of complete flow battery systems including modules (starting at 1 MWh) and warehouse-style large-scale systems for hundred-MWh applications. Turnkey solutions including stacks, electrolyte tanks, BMS, inverters, and other system components. Revenue from project-based system sales targeting utilities, renewable energy operators, and industrial customers.
2. AEM Electrolyzer Systems: Sale of AEM water electrolyzer systems in various sizes (100 kW, 1 MW, 5 MW). Containerized solutions integrating electrolyzer stacks with power units and auxiliaries for hydrogen production. Target markets include industrial hydrogen production, renewable energy storage, and transport sector.
3. OEM Components: Sale of high-performance bipolar plates, graphite felts, membranes, and stacks to other flow battery manufacturers. Annual production capacity of over 1,000,000 m² for bipolar plates and over 500 MW for stacks. Components designed for flow battery system optimization.
4. CERQ Brand (Dienstleistungsmodell): CERQ represents the rebranded business model transformation from storage producer to service provider, where customers pay for electricity storage and provision services. The brand serves as umbrella for future business areas in the global market.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Jena Flow Batteries develops and sells metal-free redox flow battery systems for stationary industrial and grid-scale energy storage. The portfolio includes containerized flow battery modules (from 1 MWh), warehouse-scale hundred-MWh storage systems, AEM water electrolyzers (100 kW to 5 MW) for hydrogen production, and OEM components (bipolar plates, graphite felts, membranes, stacks). The technology uses organic, iron-chromium, or vanadium electrolytes stored in separate tanks and pumped through electrochemical cells, enabling independent scaling of power and capacity for 4 to 12+ hour storage durations.

Product overview

Jena Flow Batteries offers a modular product portfolio centered on metal-free Redox Flow Battery technology for stationary industrial energy storage. The portfolio includes: (1) Flow Battery Modules as the core product line with capacities starting at 1 MWh, available in iron-chromium, vanadium, and organic chemistries; (2) AEM Water Electrolyzer systems in 100 kW, 1 MW, and 5 MW configurations for hydrogen production; (3) OEM Components including bipolar plates, graphite felts, membranes, and stacks; and (4) upcoming Warehouse-Scale Storage Systems for hundred-MWh applications. All products leverage partnerships with Suqian Time Energy Storage for gigawatt-scale production capacity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flow Battery Modules Flexibly configurable, containerized flow battery modules with capacities starting at 1 MWh, available in iron-chromium, vanadium, and metal-free organic chemistries. Designed for renewable energy integration and storage durations of 4 to over 12 hours; suitable as an entry point into flow battery technology for utilities, renewable operators, and industrial customers.
• AEM Water Electrolyzer Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyzer systems in 100 kW, 1 MW, and 5 MW configurations for efficient hydrogen production using precious-metal-free catalysts (nickel, iron). Delivers hydrogen purity of >99.90% with energy consumption of 4.0-4.5 kW/Nm³ H₂, operating temperature 4-70°C, lifespan 10-20 years. Targets industrial hydrogen production, renewable energy storage, and transport sector applications.
• OEM Components (Bipolar Plates, Graphite Felts, Membranes, Stacks) High-performance OEM components sold to other flow battery manufacturers and system integrators. Bipolar plates feature low electrical resistance, high strength and flexibility (over 1,000,000 m² annual capacity); graphite felts optimized for redox flow battery systems; stacks with high electrolyte utilization and double-plate structure (over 500 MW annual capacity). Components available in various dimensions and thicknesses with custom options.
• Warehouse-Scale Storage Systems Next-generation warehouse-style flow battery systems designed for industrial-scale projects with capacities in the hundred-MWh range. Feature modular design with independently scalable performance and capacity, non-flammable battery materials, and optimized space utilization for grid stabilization and energy hub applications. Positioned under the CERQ service-provision brand as customers pay for electricity storage and provision services rather than owning hardware outright.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 98% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional coal power plants when paired with photovoltaic installations
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• UniperflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Uniper and Jena Flow Batteries are working towards a strategic partnership to explore and scale long-duration energy storage, a key enabler of renewable energy systems. The collaboration entered a joint concept phase to test organic flow battery technology at one of Uniper's sites and evaluate real-world performance. Uniper's goal is to gain early access to promising battery technology and help shape the future of energy storage in Europe. Organic flow batteries offer benefits over lithium-ion: designed for 4-10+ hour storage durations, highly stable over time with frequent cycling, easily scalable with strong long-term cost potential.
• Flow Batteries Europe (FBE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Industry association membership. Company officially welcomed as new member at IFBF 2024 in Glasgow. FBE represents the interests of the flow battery industry in Europe and provides platform for industry advocacy, networking, and collaboration on regulatory and technical standards.
• Suqian Time Energy Storage Technology Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Parent company and key production partner for Jena Flow Batteries. Provides access to gigawatt-scale manufacturing capacity for flow batteries, including 1 GWh production line with target of 5 GWh by 2026. Founded 2021, Suqian Time Energy Storage is a leading manufacturer of metal-free flow batteries and key components. Partnership enables vertically integrated production from electrolytes through stack components to battery assembly. Jena Flow Batteries GmbH was established as subsidiary to continue Jenabatteries technology development in Germany while leveraging Chinese manufacturing scale.
• Suqian Green Hydrogen Technology Corporation, Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Technology and development partner for AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane) electrolysis. Specializes in development, industrial manufacturing, and commercialization of integrated water electrolysis systems. Provides end-to-end value creation covering MEA, stacks, and complete electrolyzer systems. Investment of over RMB 80 million in R&D since 2022 resulted in market-ready AEM water electrolysis system. Collaboration with universities and industrial partners built core technological competencies including in-house AEM membrane manufacturing and precious-metal-free catalyst systems.
• Friedrich Schiller University JenaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal invention of metal-free flow battery technology developed at the university in early 2010s. Collaboration led to patents and eventual spin-off of JenaBatteries GmbH in 2013. Dr. Tobias Janoschka, CTO, holds degree and PhD from the university and co-founded Jenabatteries based on university research.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Energy Vault: Swiss-listed company developing gravity-based and hybrid LDES solutions. Competes in the broader long-duration stationary storage market targeting utility-scale customers, though with a different storage mechanism than flow batteries.
• Form Energy: US-based developer of iron-air battery technology for multi-day (100+ hour) stationary storage. Competes in the broader LDES category but with fundamentally different chemistry and significantly longer discharge duration than flow batteries.

Direct peers

• Largo Clean Energy: Subsidiary of Largo Resources producing vanadium redox flow battery systems under the EnerG2 platform for long-duration stationary storage. Direct competitor with vertically integrated vanadium supply chain advantage.
• Invinity Energy Systems: UK-based manufacturer of vanadium redox flow batteries targeting stationary energy storage for utilities and renewables integration. Direct competitor in the flow battery space with overlapping customer segments in Europe and similar long-duration storage focus.
• CellCube (Enerox): Austrian manufacturer of vanadium redox flow batteries for commercial and industrial energy storage. Direct competitor in European flow battery market targeting similar utility and industrial customer segments.
• Enapter: German-based manufacturer specializing in AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane) electrolyzers for green hydrogen production. Direct peer in the AEM electrolyzer segment that Jena Flow Batteries also offers through its partnership with Suqian Green Hydrogen.
• ESS Inc. US-based manufacturer of iron flow batteries (different chemistry but same flow battery architecture) for long-duration stationary storage. Direct competitor in the LDES flow battery market with similar product positioning around non-lithium, non-vanadium chemistries.

Broad incumbents

• Nel ASA: Norwegian hydrogen technology company and one of the largest electrolyzer manufacturers globally. Incumbent peer in the hydrogen production equipment market where Jena Flow Batteries also competes through its AEM electrolyzer line.
• Sumitomo Electric: Major Japanese industrial manufacturer with one of the longest-running commercial vanadium redox flow battery product lines (since 1990s). Incumbent competitor offering flow battery systems as part of a much broader electrical equipment and infrastructure portfolio.
• Siemens Energy: Major German energy technology company with broad portfolio including grid-scale battery energy storage and hydrogen solutions. Competes as a broad incumbent across multiple LDES and electrolyzer segments where Jena Flow Batteries operates.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jenabatteries-gmbh
• Xx.com/jenabatteries

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jena Flow Batteries