CENELEST
Advancing redox flow batteries from materials to systems
CENELEST is the German-Australian alliance of Fraunhofer ICT and UNSW Sydney for redox flow battery research — from materials and electrolytes to cells, stacks and grid integration.
Research pillars
Four complementary fields of work, jointly pursued by both partner institutions.
Redox flow batteries
Vanadium and organic redox flow batteries: electrolytes, electrodes, membranes and cell chemistry.
Cells and stacks
Cell prototypes, stack design, thermal management, long-term ageing and safety.
Systems and modelling
Physical, electrical and electrochemical modelling, grid integration and battery management.
Sustainability and techno-economics
Techno-economic analysis, material availability, recycling and life-cycle aspects.
Capabilities
Hands-on competence across the full development chain — available to research partners and industry alike.
- AnalysisElectrochemical and techno-economic assessment of redox flow storage concepts.
- ElectrochemistryElectrolyte, electrode and membrane development and testing.
- Material testsCharacterisation of cell components and active materials.
- PrototypingFrom cell prototypes to stack and system demonstrators.
- Cell & stack testsPerformance, ageing and safety testing under realistic conditions.
- System analysisGrid integration, battery management and cost optimisation.
Selected research outputs
A curated selection of recent peer-reviewed results by CENELEST researchers — the full catalogue is on the publications page.
Industry collaboration
Companies get a single contact point for material tests, cell and system tests, prototypes, modelling and system analysis.
Research opportunities
Join CENELEST for a PhD, master's thesis or internship at UNSW Sydney or Fraunhofer ICT.