Flow Aluminum welcomes Dr Olaf Conrad as new Chief Technology Officer

Flow Aluminum, an Albuquerque-based startup innovating the energy industry with an aluminium-CO2 battery alternative to lithium-ion, announced the addition of Dr Olaf Conrad as Chief Technology Officer on July 9, 2024. In this executive role, Dr Conrad will establish a technology roadmap for Flow Aluminum and lead its technical team to translate the science behind the company’s high-performance, non-flammable, low-cost, and energy-dense aluminium battery into a commercial product. 

Dr Conrad brings more than 20 years of experience in academic research and industrial development to Flow Aluminum. More specifically, his expertise is in energy materials and systems, and he is proficient in fuel cells, electrolysis, hydrogen, batteries, and electrocatalysis. Drawn to taking scientific ideas and concepts and putting them into practice, Dr Conrad has helped many startups scale to robust, technically sound, and profitable organisations. This is exemplified by his role as Managing Director of Jenabatteries, where he grew the company from five to 35 employees, developed and implemented the technology roadmaps from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 to TRL 8, and achieved an independent company valuation of 238 million Euros. 

“It’s with great excitement that we welcome Dr. Conrad to our team,” commented Flow Aluminum CEO Thomas Chepucavage. “His expertise in electrochemical materials and engineering to help meet collective CO2 emission goals, coupled with his personal mission to foster and educate the next generation of electrochemical scientists and engineers, make him a valuable addition to our company. We look forward to his contributions to the technical development and market positioning of Flow Aluminum as well as his presence in and support of Albuquerque’s flourishing renewable energy community.” 

Dr Conrad’s enthusiasm for transitioning early-stage startups to thriving enterprises matches his enthusiasm for training the next generation of technicians, scientists, and engineers for the clean energy transition. He has guided academic and vocational students in South Africa, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, helping them identify and develop specific technical expertise. He believes this work fosters innovation and collaboration in the scientific community while also nurturing locales with strong R&D environments that are prime to become renewable energy hubs.

In addition to Jenabatteries, Dr Conrad has held leadership positions at Pajarito Powder, where he was responsible for scaling up and producing fuel cell and electrolyser catalysts; Schmid Energy Systems, where he oversaw all technology areas, R&D, and product development; and the University of Cape Town, where he was the Director of the HySA/Catalysis Center of Competence. His work there included implementing a five-year business plan to build and grow a National Center of Competence co-hosted by the University and South Africa’s National Minerals Technology Council. The Center is fully operational today, with over 40 engineering and research staff and students. A true citizen of the world, Dr. Conrad earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Mȕnster/Germany and has lived in various countries throughout his career. He now resides in Albuquerque.

The announcement of Flow Aluminum’s new CTO is one of many recent developments at the company. It was awarded a grant through the Advanced Energy Awards Pilot Program in May, administered through the New Mexico Economic Development Department’s Office of Strategy, Science and Technology (OSST).

 With Dr Conrad’s contributions to growing early-stage startups and CEO Thomas Chepucavage’s commitment to building strong teams with an emphasis on technological standards, Flow Aluminum is uniquely positioned to foster the development and accessibility of an aluminium-CO₂ battery that is safe, low-cost, and high-performance for electric vehicles, grid storage, and other energy storage applications.