Rolls-Royce takes majority holding in power storage specialist Qinous; storage for microgrid activities
27 January 2020
Rolls-Royce now holds a 73.1% majority stake in Berlin-based electricity storage specialist Qinous GmbH. The Group acquired the shareholdings of all other current financial investors, including that of investment holdings company IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH (Berlin). The founding shareholders will continue to hold shares in the company and will retain their current roles in the business.
Rolls-Royce had already acquired a 19.9% stake in the former start-up back in October 2018. The company is involved in battery storage systems and associated control systems, and has already implemented storage solutions around the world.
Our new subsidiary is to play a pivotal role going forward. This is where we are going to pool all the division’s microgrid activities—from simple storage solutions to complete, complex microgrid solutions of various sizes and configurations. As a young, start-up-style company, Qinous brings expertise that is an ideal complement to Rolls-Royce's industrial credentials. Together we will be able to respond quickly and with great professionalism to the demands of the market.
—Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems Division
Joint development work on a range of storage solutions in recent months has shown that the two companies are an excellent fit.
Qinous delivers modular, scalable, prefabricated plug-and-play battery products that combine renewable energy sources, power generators and battery storage technology. Rolls-Royce is a specialist in customized energy solutions with the worldwide sales and service network of its product and solution brand MTU.
This even closer partnership between Rolls-Royce and Qinous is a logical and consistent step towards opening up the rapidly growing microgrid market. The functionality and reliability of the solutions have been proven in a large number of projects. Now, with MTU's experience and global presence, we can meet demand more quickly and more comprehensively.
—Steffen Heinrich, co-founder and co-managing director of Qinous
The modular component system of the coordinated Qinous/MTU product range will in future allow the configuration of solutions from 30 kW/30kWh to several megawatts.
The QINOUS ESS QMedium provides power of up to 1,100 kVA and a capacity of up to 1000 kWh. It is based on a standard ISO 20ft shipping container. It is bracketed by the QINOUS SMART ESS QCompact on the low end and the QINOUS SESS QLarge on the high end.
The QINOUS SMART ESS QCompact comes in four different power alternatives from 40kVA up to 400 kVA and large capacities of up to 555 kWh on a footprint between 3.30 and 2.4 m² in a single housing. The QINOUS SESS QLarge is housed in a standard ISO 40ft shipping container. It provides power of up to 2,200 kVA and a capacity of up to 2,200 kWh.
Qinous employs around 40 people in Berlin. Rolls-Royce is engaged in research and development of microgrids and power generators at four locations: Friedrichshafen, Ruhstorf, Augsburg and Mankato (US).
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