In today’s global landscape, Europe is taking strides toward achieving energy independence by leveraging localized innovation. The growing need for sustainable solutions underscores the importance of autonomy in technology and energy systems. In this context, Prime Batteries Technologies stands out as a leader in transforming energy storage and management, as highlighted by CEO Vicențiu Ciobanu at the conference “Digitalization and Energy Efficiency – Bucharest” organised by Energynomics together with the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania – CCIpR.
Prime started from answering to its automotive clients’ requests. This collaboration not only enabled Prime Batteries Technologies to refine its products but also positioned the company at the forefront of the energy storage revolution. “It was a good position for us to be in contact with most of the major automakers in Europe.”
Digitalization: Bridging atoms and bytes
At the heart of Prime Batteries Technologies’ success is a digitalized approach to battery systems. Ciobanu describes digitalization as: “A bridge between atoms and bytes. We are all aware that Prime is dealing with atoms because we are manufacturers producing those batteries, but if you talk about digitalization, you have to look into the bits, which is basically the software part.”
This approach has allowed the company to transform its products from simple energy storage devices into sophisticated energy management tools. Prime Batteries Technologies initially specialized in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, playing a pivotal role in designing the electrical architecture of vehicles. Ciobanu elaborated: “All the information related to the power source, the storage area, and the consumption […] they were coordinated by more than 30 ‘computers’.”
This knowledge now drives their innovations in grid-scale energy storage, providing insights into energy flow that extend far beyond transportation.
One notable innovation – energy balancing in lithium-ion batteries
Prime’s success is deeply rooted in fostering a culture of innovation. Ciobanu highlighted the importance of challenging projects to retain and grow talent. “One of my major jobs in the company is making sure that we are gaining more engineers and developing more technology […] For this, you need to keep those brains very busy.”
With 70% of its workforce comprising engineers, the company ensures its position at the cutting edge of battery and energy storage technology.
One example of successful innovation is the transformation of energy balancing in lithium-ion batteries. Traditionally, energy lost in the balancing process was dissipated as heat. However, Ciobanu revealed: “We started thinking about what if this energy can be used for computing power instead of using it in resistors.” This led to the development of a battery management system (BMS) that is self-powered and capable of advanced data processing, enhancing efficiency and functionality.
Meeting the Needs of Modern Energy Systems
Since 2019, Prime Batteries Technologies has expanded its focus to large-scale energy storage solutions, addressing the growing need for efficient and reliable systems to stabilize grids and optimize energy use. Residential storage systems also play a critical role, as Ciobanu noted.
“All our customers were asking us to give them good practices on how they can potentially use those batteries […] suddenly somebody was asking to store that energy and use it at the right time.”
The company’s expertise now spans the entire energy ecosystem, from generation to consumption, ensuring maximum efficiency at every stage.
The news of the year – A unified platform for energy optimization
In the summer of 2024, Prime launched a groundbreaking platform that aggregates data on energy production, storage, and consumption. Ciobanu explained its purpose: “The platform […] aggregates all the energy production and sources, aggregating the consumption, aggregating the battery storage environment, and gives you the opportunity to make the right decision on how you would like to use that energy.”
Ciobanu concluded by emphasizing the broader implications of his team work: “We understand the behavior of the energy which is consumed; we understand the behavior of the energy which is produced, and it’s our job to explain to [our customers] how to use it.”
The conference “Digitalization and Energy Efficiency – Bucharest” was organised by Energynomics together with the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania – CCIpR, with the support of our partners: Bonatti, Datacor, Elektra Renewable Support, Elvo, Enexus Renewable Energy, Generali, HBI Real Estate, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank, Keno Energy, Personnel Select, Polytrade Global, Prime Batteries Technology, Prysmian, Schneider Electric, SolarX Power, UniCredit Bank, VARD, WALDEVAR Energy, WEBUS 4 Energy.