Hagal maximises battery life for a cleaner tomorrow

How are we to cut global greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, as the Paris Agreement calls for? It’s a tall order, and many are sceptical it can be done at all.

“We have the technology to meet the climate goals. Electrification is the most effective way to decarbonise, but it can only happen if power grids are optimised and expanded in a timely manner. Energy storage is key to this,” says Braathen.

Hagal is developing energy storage solutions (ESS) based on technology that extends the life of new and used batteries. Unique to Hagal is its groundbreaking “single cell control” solution. Braathen explains:

“Single cell control is a disruptive step in the ESS market. With our hardware and firmware platform, we can adapt the load in each individual cell. This optimises the utilisation per cell according to its individual capacity, thereby extending the useful lifetime per pack.”

“Moreover, our Switching Battery Management System (SBMS) utilises all the energy in the system and never burns energy into heat like traditional BMS systems. This is important because the need to burn energy during state of charge levelling increaes significantly with aging battery cells.”

”The SMBS also eliminates the need for an additional inverter and transformer, saving significant costs,” he adds.

Hagal’s current product line under development includes three distinct but interrelated solutions.

The indoor SAFE ESS is a low profile, all-in-one energy system that easily fits narrow utility rooms for real estate applications, while the utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) uses both new and used EV batteries for outdoor applications.

On the software side, the cloud-based Hagal Flow is an Energy Management System (EMS) that uses AI to optimise energy management.

Hagal’s technology can facilitate the switch from fossil fuels to renewables. “We are helping to meet the growing demand for stationary energy storage, which is needed to balance power supply and demand,” says Braathen.

Along similar lines, Hagal can help to overcome a major obstacle to renewable energy: the intermittency of power and wind. By distributing the load on the power grid and expanding the use of renewables, Hagal’s technology will limit the need for extensive grid upgrades.

Moreover, Hagal is repurposing EV batteries, which is good news for the circular economy. This reduces the environmental impact of raw material extraction and carbon emissions from battery manufacturing, and speeds up the access to battery storage.

When it comes to energy storage, the pace of product deployment and market development is accelerating. Hagal will soon enter this exploding market, as early as Q4 2022.

Right now, the company is running several successful pilots. These include a project with Europris and Hagal’s own Battery LifeCycle Hub. In a major milestone, Hagal is teaming up with ASKO Maritime, a subsidiary of ASKO, the largest grocery distributor in Norway. ASKO is developing an emission-free, truck transport system across the Oslofjord. A Hagal battery system will enable a sustainable power supply to battery-electric trucks in this zero-emission transport chain.

“These projects are proving the value of our technology, and we are looking for partners, investors and future customers to join us,” Braathen concludes.