Singapore-based entrepreneurs have developed long-lasting battery storage technology that could offer reliable support for solar and wind power in remote locations.
Avishek Kumar, chief executive of VflowTech, will show the technology at Cop28 and tell delegates how its vanadium flow batteries store energy from the Sun and wind during the day to power industries and homes by night.
The company's PowerCube technology, he says, comes with an assurance that performance will not drop and that the batteries will last for more than 20 years, helping people to stop using polluting diesel generators.
It has the capacity to supply a 50 kilowatt-hour (kWh) load for 24 hours per unit – more than double the needs of the average family.
When there is no sun or wind, how will you power yourself? Energy storage is an important enabler
Avishek Kumar,
chief executive, VflowTech
The company will create a virtual model at Cop28 so audiences can see how the battery technology has worked for more a decade to help keep the lights running on an island off Singapore where residents had previously used diesel generators.
“They were burning litres of diesel. Instead, we have put in a battery, connected it with renewables and it’s now powering the whole island with a net zero, fully renewable solution 24/7,” Mr Kumar told The National.
“The primary objective is to showcase how our technology is available for mass deployment.”
He plans to build factories to manufacture vanadium flow batteries in India and later in the UAE.
Why massive battery storage is key
Alternative forms of battery storage, including vanadium, a metal found in the Earth’s crust, are attracting attention with the build-up of interest in renewable energy.
Access to clean energy is one of the United Nation’s key sustainable development goals with close to two billion people still relying on polluting fuels.
Solar and wind can generate cheap electricity but supply can be erratic. For entire grids to run purely on renewable energy, an enormous amount of storage is required to prevent blackouts.
Industries and major infrastructure projects must be assured of consistent supply without any fluctuations in power to make the switch to clean energy.
“Most leaders have committed to go net zero by 2050,” he said. “One simple way is to power ourselves with renewables 24/7, but that cannot be done without energy storage.
“So when there is no sun or wind, how will you power yourself? In this context energy storage is an important enabler.”
Currently, lithium ion and lead acid batteries are the main types used for energy storage. But these batteries need to be replaced every few years and their efficiency degrades with time.
“The problem with contemporary lithium ion technology is that it’s OK for use for a short time but, for instance, if you talk on your phone for longer than an hour or two, it heats up,” said Mr Kumar, who is also VFlowTech’s co-founder.
“Performance degrades and you have to replace these batteries more frequently.”
Engineers around the world have been working on alternative storage devices and one option is vanadium redox flow technology.
China, Russia and Australia have the world’s largest vanadium deposits.
China is among the countries taking a giant leap in the vanadium flow battery system with a facility opened last year in north-east Dalian city that meets the electricity demand of 200,000 residents.
What is vanadium technology?
VFlowTech was incubated in Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University with researchers working for more than 10 years to fine tune the vanadium battery system.
“The advantage of the vanadium flow battery technology is that it has a lifetime of 25 to 30 years and the performance does not degrade, which makes it an ideal solution for the long run,” Mr Kumar said.
“There is also zero performance degradation, so if the performance is 100 per cent today, after 25 years you will also get 100 per cent of the energy. This makes it highly sustainable; vanadium is also highly recyclable.”
VflowTech's battery storage units – called PowerCubes – range in size from a double-door fridge to a huge container.
The technology powers electric vehicles in Australia, supplies electricity to office buildings in Japan and to more than 30 homes and businesses in Pulau Ubin island off Singapore’s north-east coast.
A recent pilot project covers about six telecom towers in Johannesburg with the goal to eventually use the technology in 8,000 towers.
Mr Kumar displayed projects at the Singapore pavilion during Cop27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and will be in Dubai to focus the spotlight on the technology again.
The company won a competition for start-ups run by the UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology in June that received 400 submissions from around the world.
VflowTech pitched its idea before industry experts and was awarded Dh100,000 for “innovative, reliable and large-scale storage solutions that unlock the full power of renewables”.
Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, said the UAE was keen to provide a space for technology start-ups to scale up breakthrough solutions that address climate change challenges and support economic growth.
“Technology start-ups are an engine of economic growth,” Ms Al Amiri said.
“They create employment opportunities, introduce new products and services, drive innovation and can efficiently solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.”
Adapting to extreme weather
The drawback of vanadium is that it’s expensive to extract. Mainly used in the steel refining industry, its price is volatile because it rises in response to the demand for steel.
Vanadium batteries have also previously had trouble operating in extremely hot conditions. Vflow has worked on a solution that allows the battery to run in conditions of 55°C to 60°C, opening it to new markets in the Middle East.
“Our technology can work in extreme climates,” Mr Kumar said.
“The innovations we have done make our technology suitable for the Emirates' hot and humid climate.
“There is a push for the Middle East to apply more and more renewables and we have the intent to manufacture locally for local consumption.”
He is confident of bringing the cost down as use of the technology becomes widespread.
“We are now a small company manufacturing in Singapore, but in the next three years, as the demand increases, we will scale up our battery production capacity in India and have plans to come to the Middle East,” he said.
Transition to net zero
About 733 million people have no access to electricity – that’s about one in 10 people worldwide, according to United Nations Development Programme figures.
About 80 per cent of global energy and 66 per cent of electrical generation is currently supplied from fossil fuels, including oil and coal. This contributes about 60 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change.
The UN has urged countries to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy systems and to invest in renewable energy resources.
At Cop28, Mr Kumar aims to show visitors why vanadium-powered energy storage is the future.
Being part of the climate summit helps learning about new technology aimed at achieving the net-zero goal – the ambition to balance greenhouse gas emissions so the amount removed from the atmosphere is equal to the amount emitted.
“We are actively looking to scale up our technology,” Mr Kumar said.
“Net zero is a complex goal to achieve – it cannot be achieved by one person or one technology, it has to be mixed with multiple technologies.
“You need one platform where different technology providers assemble together.
“Cop gives you this platform to interact with stakeholders so you can see innovative technologies you can combine, where policymakers and financials come together."
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
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Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
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Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Co%20Chocolat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Iman%20and%20Luchie%20Suguitan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Food%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241%20million-plus%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fahad%20bin%20Juma%2C%20self-funding%2C%20family%20and%20friends%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
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Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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