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“There is no end to a good thing“ - Israel Vibration
Brief
NGK closes the doors of its NAS Batteries division after 4 decades and 5,000 MWh of operational capacity - exiting the stage having achieved several commercial milestones propelling them to first position in LDES OEM ranking by deployed capacity.
Ambri goes out of business despite a large pipeline.
Sumitomo, Invinity and CellCube present case studies of successful projects at the inaugural Flow Batteries North America (FBNA) conference.
A tour of the G&W Microgrid in Bolingbrook, Illinois featuring CellCube’s 2 MW / 8 MWh vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) ESS reveals brilliant architecture yielding improved footprint.
Ode to NGK Insulators’ Energy Storage Business
Since the unexpected announcement of the closure of NGK's Battery Division on the 31 October 2025, some people in the industry have focused on the giant's fall. I think it is only fair that the incredible achievements of NGK not go uncelebrated. The ladies and gentlemen of NGK (and later NGK plus BASF) weathered the trials and tribulations of an initially miniscule stationary energy storage market and then the financial might of the lithium-ion battery (LIB) juggernaut to honor us with the NAS (sodium - sulfur) battery technology and several product generations - each better than the preceding one. Below is a timeline of NGK’s Battery Division spanning 41 years between 1984 and 2025.
Major commercial milestones of NGK Insulators’ Battery Division
Thus, I choose to celebrate NGK’s valuable efforts with an ode:
O steadfast forge of sodium and flame,
Where earth’s own elements are tamed—
From ceramic roots your vision rose,
To store the sun, to calm the flows.
Through decades tried by spark and storm,
You shaped the grid’s enduring form.
With NAS you birthed a world anew,
Of lasting power, deep and true.
Your craft is sealed in global trust,
By codes of safety, fair and just.
From Japan’s heart to distant lands,
Your batteries bloom by human hands.
Four gigawatt-hours strong you stand,
Two hundred fifty projects spanned—
Pioneer of light, of steady might,
NGK—keeper of the endless night.
(Ode courtesy of ChatGPT)
A giant of the industry has fallen but many shall rise to fill its big shoes.
Ambri goes out of business
Ambri has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after 15 years of operation. This follows the company’s impressive comeback from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024. Ambri’s closure was catalyzed by the failure to raise capital for manufacturing scale up despite having secured a healthy pipeline. Ambri had achieved various commercial milestones including UL certifications.
Healthy pipelines are key to startups’ ability to raise capital (at a low cost). Ambri’s woes is a clear indicator that not all pipelines are created equal.
Dreamland
The commercialization of flow battery ESS (FBESS) is well and truly underway! That was the main message of the inaugural Flow Batteries North America (FBNA) conference in Chicago last month - and I could not agree more.
The conference featured 3 FBESS case studies which are expected to meet and/or exceed revenue targets:
CellCube Energy Storage’s 2MW/8 MWh FBESS at the G&W Electric Microgrid in Bolingbrook, Illinois
Invinity Energy Systems’ 1 MW/10 MWh FBESS at the Viejas Enterprise Microgrid in Viejas, California
Sumitomo Electric’s 2 MW/8 MWh FBESS at the Miguel Substation in San Diego, California
The highlight of the conference was the tour of the CellCube FBESS showcasing a brilliant architecture. The FBESS has met availability targets since COD.
The 3 projects are the clearest indication of the criticality of field reliability to project financing. My co-panelists Richard Baxter, Benjamin Chee and I had the opportunity to discuss the bankability of flow battery products, projects and companies. I covered the role of product bankability in various project financing mechanisms.
The energy storage pie is growing rapidly and flow battery ESSs are a major participant.
The LDES Tracker provides market visibility and supports preliminary vendor qualification based on field history. Visit the LDES Tracker to see details of operational projects including capacity, location, OEM and developer.