ASX investors are a curious bunch. If we hear of a company that may be doing well, a natural instinct is to look for it on the ASX boards, our public share market. That seems to be the situation that is going on with the renewable energy company Gelion.
Gelion has been making headlines this week. A news release from the University of Sydney this morning tells us that Gelion is partnering with another compnay – Battery Energy Power Solutions – to "make and distribute the Gelion Endure zinc-bromide battery".
WIth this in mind, many ASX investors might be keen to buy some Gelion shares and join this party. After all, renewable energy is an exciting growth area for many investors right now.
Alas, that won't be possible, at least for now. That's because Gelion remains a private company, unavailable for public investment through the share market.
Who is Gelion, and why isn't it on the ASX?
Gelion was actually a creation of the University of Sydney, hence the news release this morning. The University still remains an investor in the company.
Even so, there's no doubt Gelion is an exciting start up. Its flagship zinc-bromide battery was developed by Professor Thomas Maschmeyer, and will now be manufactured at Battery Energy's Sydney factory in Fairfield.
These new battries can reportedly deliver power more efficiently and safely than a standard lthium ion one. In the release, Professor Maschmeyer said the following in the technology:
For stationary energy storage, zinc-bromide batteries do away with the need for expensive cooling and maintenance systems. And they can't catch fire…
We recently tested the battery by heating it on a barbeque plate at about 700 degrees for half an hour… Not only did the battery not catch fire, it continued to operate, keeping a light on through the whole test.
Gelion CEO Andrew Grimes also had a few things to say on this development for the company:
Gelion's vision is to play a leading role in the transition to clean energy across the globe…
In the coming months, we will be focused on demonstrating our next-generation battery systems in-field in Australia, commencing later this year.
New battery technology is not all that Gelion has cooking in its kitchen though. Last year, Gelion announced that it had developed a solar-powered bench using its battery technology. These benches were installed across the University of Sydney campus, and seem to have proved an initial success.
But, as we discussed earlier, Gelion won't be available to retail ASX investors just yet. But watch this space, you never know what the future might hold for this exciting company.
