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Sonia St-Arnaud, CEO & President, EVLO

Sonia St-Arnaud, CEO & President, EVLO

30 October 2023

What led to the establishment of EVLO as a subsidiary of Hydro-Québec, and what are the main products in your portfolio?

Hydro-Québec has spent several decades in the development of battery chemistry, and eight years ago we even did a joint venture with Sony to build some battery energy storage system prototypes. Although this did not come to fruition, it represented a good starting point for the actual technology. Stemmed from our goal to support grid innovation in Canada and beyond, EVLO was established as a brand in 2020, and the EVLO1000 was launched about a year later, which was later upgraded into EVLOFLEX, our 5th generation BESS and flagship product that provides more capacity in the same footprint. For better management of this storage system, we developed the EVLOGIX software solution, thus EVLOFLEX is a fully integrated BESS (battery energy storage system) that includes the EMS, BMS, and power converters (PCS), and all the other strategic components that lead to a great performance. In view of the progress done in terms of cost efficiency, we believe we have a good product that can be presented as a solid business case on the energy market. 

Given that energy storage is the number one issue for renewables today, what is unique about EVLOFLEX?

Our customers' feedback shows that what they appreciate the most in our technology is the increased safety, so, objectively speaking, this is our primary differentiating factor. The LFP chemistry in our batteries is safer than the NMC-based alternative and our BESS is designed to meet strict fire safety industry standards (UL9540, NFPA 69, etc.), so we can deploy our battery storage systems with high confidence that they will not cause fires like the ones we hear on the news. Besides these, our system is packed with various monitoring features that can detect and avoid any potential problems ahead of time. Before commissioning the system, we do multiple simulations that allow us to see how the product would interact with the grid, hence mitigating deployment risks. 

For how long can your batteries store energy and what is their total capacity?

Although this is not a common market usage, LFP chemistry is well known for its ability to keep its stored energy for a long period of time, potentially years. However, most customers are using stored energy within days. There is no limitation to give energy to the grid or to receive from it, and if customers need a high quantity of energy at once, they can easily stack more containers and draw from them it is a matter of system configuration needed by the customer. The high energy-density EVLOFLEX offers several configuration options in terms of power and duration to ensure the smooth integration of intermittent renewable energy sources.  

Power generation of renewables is cheap, but storage and transportation add greatly to the final cost. How affordable is EVLO's solution?

The cost of battery storage systems decreased a lot during the last years, and the final expense also depends on the price of electricity at the location of the project. The U.S. and Canada have proved to be receptive to our product, so we must have made a compelling selling proposition cost wise. Unlike a hydropower plant which needs to be close to water, a storage system can be placed in the most convenient and affordable spots along the grid. 

You have recently launched your first utility scale storage project in the U.S. How does this influence your further plans for expansion?

U.S. and Canada are two of the core markets for EVLO, we are present here coast to coast, and we work with big utility companies, reputable developers, and EPCs. Having had a very good experience in France, we plan to expand our footprint towards Europe as soon as we feel we have fulfilled our mission in the North American continent. 

How do you decide whom to partner with for the supply of your lithium, given the geopolitical controversies linked to its sourcing?

Since the beginning, when we select strategic partners, not only are we evaluating the technology and performance, but also their supply chain’s reliability. We also take into consideration our respective technical teams’ ability to collaborate. Today, our batteries, BMS, converters, and containers are supplied with high-quality and affordable materials by our global procurement chain.

What needs to be done at the policy and industry level to ensure we will succeed in the green transition?

If we want to have a chance at achieving the targets of the green transition, we must work together, both across industries and across countries.

 

Utility companies must develop and ensure the evolution of the electrical grid, and obviously integrate renewable sources as soon as possible to meet decarbonisation objectives.

 

We also need to secure solid supply chains around the world to optimize production. EVLO leverages the experience gained in each market and transfers it to future projects to make them even better because our goal is to help our clients accelerate the deployment of their energy solutions.