LEAPLUG™ Sulfur-based Flow Battery Energy Storage System

Overview

LEAPLUG™ is the world’s first commercial sulfur-based aqueous flow battery energy storage system, eliminating the flaming risk of Li-ion batteries, while reduce the battery cost of 1/2 of the Li-ion batteries. The technology is competitive in energy storage applications for renewable power regulation, data centre back-up power source, EV charging support etc.

  • LEAPLUG™ Sulfur-based Flow Battery Energy Storage System 0
  • LEAPLUG™ Sulfur-based Flow Battery Energy Storage System 1
  • LEAPLUG™ Sulfur-based Flow Battery Energy Storage System 2
Technical name of innovation
Aqueous sulfur-based flow battery
Problem addressed

Safe and low-cost energy storage is the bottleneck for net-zero electricity. Conventional Li-ion batteries have flaming risks, and nonflammable vanadium flow batteries cost 2-3 times higher than Li-ion. LEAPLUG™ flow battery system stores electricity in sulfur, an earth-abundant and heavy-metal free material, dissolved in nonflammable aqueous electrolyte, providing safe and eco-friendly energy storage solutions in extremely low cost.

Innovation
  • The world’s first sulfur-based flow battery system in utility scale. This system has been installed at an electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Shenzhen, China, not only saving approximately 70% of electricity costs but also alleviates strain on the power grid.
  • Charge Reinforced Ion-Selective (CRIS) Membrane: block crossover contamination of sulfur active materials, enhancing the lifespan of battery to over 15 years.
  • Molecular Catalysts: maintaining battery energy efficiency over 80% across wide temperature range from 0 to 50°C.
Key impact
  • Low Cost: Leverages earth-abundant sulfur-based active materials to reduce dependency on expensive resources like lithium and vanadium, significantly lowering overall system costs.
  • Inherent Safety: Non-flammable, low-corrosive aqueous electrolyte minimizes fire hazards and supports eco-friendly performance.
  • Ultra-Long Lifetime: The flow battery achieves over 10,000 cycles—equivalent to approximately 15 years of continuous operation.
  • Eco-friendly: heavy-metal free, easy to be recycled.
Award
  • 4th Asia Exhibition of Innovations and Inventions Hong Kong - Gold Award
  • StartUs Insights 20 Flow Battery Startups to Watch (2025)
  • China (Shenzhen) Innovation & Entrepreneurship International Competition 2024 – Female Entrepreneur Star
  • ADNOC Sulfur Innovation Challenge 2024 - World's top 3
  • Hong Kong Engineering Science and Technology Award 2023
  • Xplorer Prize (2021)
  • Top 10 Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year Award (2020)
  • TERA-Award Smart Energy Innovation Competition 2021 Bronze
Application
  • Generation-side energy storage, including renewable energy integration.
  • Grid-side energy storage, including grid stability and reliability, peak shaving and load shifting.
  • User-side energy storage, including electric vehicle (EV) charging support, industrial and commercial applications, residential applications, backup power for data centres and hospitals etc.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)

Founded in 1963, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a forward-looking comprehensive research university with a global vision and a mission to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West. CUHK teachers and students hail from all around the world. Four Nobel laureates are associated with the university, and it is the only tertiary institution in Hong Kong with recipients of the Nobel Prize, Turing Award, Fields Medal and Veblen Prize sitting as faculty in residence. CUHK graduates are connected worldwide through an extensive alumni network. CUHK undertakes a wide range of research programmes in many subject areas, and strives to provide scope for all academic staff to undertake consultancy and collaborative projects with industry. 

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