Certain Energy, formerly known as RFC Power, has raised £10 million in Series A funding to commercialize its manganese flow battery technology and scale long-duration energy storage systems designed to stabilize electricity grids and support renewable power generation. The round was led by the British Business Bank, which invested £3.5 million, with participation from Centrica, Temasek Trust’s Catalytic Capital for Climate and Health, and Ceres Power.
Certain Energy was created in 2017 as a spinout from Imperial College London based on research from Professor Anthony Kucernak in Imperial’s Department of Chemistry and Professor Nigel Brandon in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering.
Originally established as RFC Power, the company has rebranded as Certain Energy as it moves toward commercial deployment.
Certain Energy is based at the I-HUB on Imperial’s White City campus. Its leadership team includes Dr. Tim von Werne, Chief Executive; Dr. Mark Selby, Executive Chair; Dr. Ashkan Kavei, Head of Technology Delivery; and Chris Evans, Chief Product Officer.
The company’s technology combines characteristics of flow batteries with elements of fuel cell technology to efficiently convert electrical energy into chemical energy and back again.
Rather than relying on rare minerals, Certain Energy’s batteries are based on manganese, the twelfth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust.
Unlike conventional batteries, the system can increase discharge duration by expanding the size of its electrolyte tanks, allowing energy to be stored for periods ranging from hours to days.
This architecture is designed to address one of the major challenges created by increasing renewable energy generation. Electricity produced by solar and wind can be stored when generation is abundant and released later when renewable output declines or grid demand increases.
Certain Energy believes long-duration energy storage will become an increasingly important part of power systems as countries add greater amounts of intermittent renewable energy.
The company plans to use the Series A financing to scale its technology toward volume production and prepare it for deployment across electricity grids.
Its plans include developing a grid-connected MWh-class system in India, expanding its research facility in the UK and creating a supply chain capable of supporting repeatable commercial projects.
Certain Energy previously received support from the Imperial Incubator and participated in Undaunted’s accelerator program, now known as The Greenhouse.
The participation of Ceres Power in the financing also connects Certain Energy with another Imperial-founded clean energy company.
Ceres was spun out from Imperial in 2001 based on fuel cell research by Professor Brandon and colleagues in the Department of Materials. The company is now listed on the London Stock Exchange and has a market capitalization of approximately £900 million.
The British Business Bank’s investment also ties Certain Energy’s development to the UK government’s broader effort to increase domestic energy security and create long-duration storage infrastructure capable of holding renewable electricity for days rather than hours.
Certain Energy CEO Tim von Werne said the financing gives the company the capital and support required to build a globally competitive energy storage company around technology developed in the UK.
KEY QUOTES:
“The transition to a decarbonised energy system requires affordable, long-duration energy storage that can capture renewable electricity when it is abundant and deliver it when it is needed. It is immensely gratifying to see technology developed in our laboratories progress from fundamental research to commercial deployment.”
Professor Anthony Kucernak, Co-Founder of RFC Power
“Long-duration storage is the missing piece of the clean energy system, and manganese flow is the technology that should win.”
Dr. Tim von Werne, Chief Executive of Certain Energy
“This investment marks an important step towards bringing manganese flow batteries to the grid at scale and demonstrating the impact that university innovation can have on the global energy transition.”
Professor Anthony Kucernak, Co-Founder of RFC Power
“Electrochemical technologies such as flow batteries have a key role to play in the transition to low carbon energy systems. It is great to see more ideas that originated in Imperial’s labs being scaled up to make a positive difference in the world.”
Professor Nigel Brandon, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College London
“Homegrown clean energy is our route to more affordable bills and energy security, and storing it for when we need it most is critical. By investing £3.5 million in Certain Energy, the British Business Bank is backing British innovation and helping develop the long-duration energy storage we need to store clean power for days, not hours, and deliver a more secure energy system.”
Michael Shanks, Minister in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
“With the British Business Bank behind us, we have the capital and the mandate to build a global champion here, turning world-class UK science into the industry the energy transition needs.”
Dr. Tim von Werne, Chief Executive of Certain Energy
“Certain Energy has a combination that is rare in this sector: a low-cost, abundant chemistry and a credible, capital-efficient route to manufacturing. We’re glad to back a fellow UK innovator with global ambitions.”
Stuart Paynter, Chief Financial Officer of Ceres
