Tech giant Tencent has selected green-energy start-up Quino Energy for its CarbonX program grant to back the development of a megawatt-hour-scale battery system on Himandhoo Island.
Marking the first-ever commercial deployment of water-based organic flow battery technology, the installation aims to provide a highly secure and fire-safe alternative to standard long-duration energy storage.
The system will be integrated into a broader, cutting-edge microgrid that includes a floating solar photovoltaic array financed by the Asian Development Bank.
This clean energy network will complement the island’s ongoing Preparing Outer Islands for Sustainable Energy Development (POISED) project, which is already rolling out terrestrial solar arrays and traditional lithium-ion batteries.
By combining these diverse renewable sources with Quino’s next-generation storage, the microgrid will secure a highly resilient power supply.
This will prove critical to the remote community’s safety and daily operations during extreme weather events or sharp fluctuations in local electricity demand.
Quino Energy’s unique technology stores electrical energy in water-based organic molecules called quinones. Unlike conventional options, these batteries promise low capital costs, rapid scalability, and true fire safety.
“Quino Energy is immensely grateful for the support from the Tencent CarbonX program to enable us to demonstrate our organic flow battery in a setting that can directly benefit a community,” said Quino Energy CEO and co-founder Eugene Beh.
“The collaboration showcases how Quino’s technology will continue to enable cooperation between parties from across the world to rapidly advance the next generation of flow batteries.”
The ambitious project involves an extensive global partnership. Atri Energy Transition will handle the manufacturing of the proprietary organic electrolyte in Pune, India, alongside providing ongoing maintenance for five years.
Meanwhile, Chinese group Suqian Time Energy Storage will supply the heavy battery hardware, and microgrid specialist Sinosoar will spearhead the final installation, construction, and grid integration on the island.