Google is making a big move into a new type of CO2-based battery for long duration energy storage, and that should send shivers up the spines of fossil energy stakeholders everywhere. It means that more wind and solar energy than ever before can be put to use in local grids or shunted straight into data centers and other energy-sucking facilities. Come to think of it, the new CO2 battery could also spell trouble for Tesla’s Megapack utility-scale batteries, too.
The Case For Long Duration Energy Storage
Long duration energy storage poses a unique new threat to fossil fuel power plants, specifically those fueled by natural gas. A flood of inexpensive natural gas was the main driver of coal’s decline in the US during the early 2000s, when the cost of wind and solar energy was relatively high. But now, wind and solar have become competitive with natural gas in many markets.
One key contributing factor is the availability of energy storage, which smooths out the on-again, off-again nature of wind and solar resources. So far, that job has fallen upon utility-scale lithium-ion batteries such as those marketed by Tesla under the Megapack brand.
However, if energy storage is going to spur further competitiveness in the wind and solar industries, it has to level up. Lithium-ion batteries typically last about four hours or so. That’s enough to handle daily grid balancing chores and short term emergencies in markets where conventional power plants also play a role, but it’s not sufficient to support a grid saturated with wind and solar energy.
The US Department of Energy has consistently made the case for long duration energy storage systems that can deliver electricity for at least 10 hours, ideally stretching into days, weeks, and entire seasons. Now that the data center construction boom has taken off, the case for long duration storage is stronger than ever.
The Energy Dome Solution: Using CO2 For Good
The US is far from meeting the long duration scenario. Despite the strong performance of Tesla’s Megapack and other battery-type storage systems on the market, pumped storage hydropower still accounts for more than 90% of utility scale storage in the US, long duration or otherwise.
Considering the site selection limitations of hydropower, that should leave the field wide open for new go-anywhere long duration systems. That’s easier said than done. Scaling up to commercial application has been a difficult challenge, but the Italian startup Energy Dome is among those ready to break the barrier.
Energy Dome surfaced on the CleanTechnica radar back in 2022, when its supercrtical CO2 storage system caught the eye of BloombergNEF. As explained by Energy Dome, the “supercritical” part of the system refers to compressing CO2 into a liquid state. Unlike other gases, CO2 can be compressed at ambient temperatures, eliminating the need for expensive cryogenic features.
The closed loop charging cycle starts with CO2 gas held in a dome-like structure. To charge, it is withdrawn compressed into its liquid state. When power is needed, the CO2 is evaporated and run through a turbine to generate electricity. The cycle completes when the spent CO2 returns to the dome.
Long Duration Energy Storage Is Coming For Your Fossil Fuels
Energy Dome claims to beat lithium-ion batteries by a wide margin, currently aiming for a duration of 8-24 hours. The company aims to hit the 10-hour mark with its first project in the US, the “Columbia Energy Storage Project” under the wing of the gas and electricity supplier Alliant Energy to be located in Pacific, Wisconsin.
Earlier this month, Alliant won approval from Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to move forward with the project, which is also supported by the WEC Energy Group, and Madison Gas and Electric.
“Utilizing cutting-edge technology designed by Energy Dome, the Columbia Energy Storage Project will boost grid stability, improve resilience and deliver enough electricity to power approximately 18,000 Wisconsin homes for 10 hours on a single charge,” Alliant explains.
Google Has A (Mixed) Message For Fossil Fuels
The Alliant project will be up and running in 2027, which is just around the corner. Energy Dome also has a project under contract in India, but apparently Google has already seen more than enough. An Energy Dome demonstration project has been shooting electricity into the grid in Italy for more than three years, and the company recently launched a new 20-megawatt commercial plant in Sardinia.
In a blog post that went up this morning, Google announced its first-ever long duration energy storage venture, in support of the Energy Dome system. “Today, we’re adding another technology to our portfolio: long duration energy storage (LDES),” Google reported. “Through a new long-term partnership with Energy Dome, we plan to support multiple commercial projects globally to deploy their LDES technology.”
There being no such thing as a free lunch, that doesn’t necessarily mean all renewables, all the time. Some forms of energy storage are renewables-specific, like concentrating solar power. Many other forms of energy storage, including Energy Dome, are source-agnostic. When Energy Dome draws electricity from the grid to compress CO2, they use whatever is in the mix of the day.
Still, Google states that its primary goal is renewable energy storage, leveraging the excess capacity of wind and/or solar projects wherever its corporate footprint falls. “With this commercial partnership, as well as an investment in the company, we believe these projects can unlock new clean energy for grids where we operate before 2030, helping meet near-term electricity system needs and moving us closer to our 24/7 carbon-free energy goal,” Google explained.
Ummm…About That Megapack…
Of course, no story about energy storage is complete without a mention of Tesla, which has become a household name in the storage field through its Powerwall home-scale batteries as well as the Megapack. Google is among the offtakers supporting Tesla’s Megapack business, but today’s blog post and press release make it clear that Google is moving on.
In the blog post, Google explains that Energy Dome has the potential to scale much faster than other new storage systems in its current portfolio. Google also takes note of its own extensive use of 4-hour lithium-ion batteries for utility-scale storage, but they move from that into an emphatic endorsement of research from the Electric Power Research Institute, indicating that “LDES technologies can cost-effectively integrate a growing volume of renewables onto power systems and contribute to more flexible, reliable grids.”
“The LDES Council estimates that deploying up to 8 terawatts (TW) of LDES by 2040 could result in $540 billion in annual savings globally, thanks in part to their ability to optimize grids,” Google emphasizes.
“By bringing this first-of-a-kind LDES technology to market faster, we aim to rapidly bring its potential to communities everywhere — making reliable, affordable electricity available around the clock and supporting the resilience of grids as they integrate growing amounts of renewable energy sources,” adds Google’s Director of EMEA Energy, Maud Texier in a press statement.
The new agreement with Energy Dome covers projects in Europe, America, and the Asia-Pacific region. I’ve reached out to Energy Dome for more details on any projects to be located in the US, including the Wisconsin project, so stay tuned for an update.
Image (cropped): Energy Dome’s CO2-based long duration energy storage system has won the seal of approval from Google, which aims to accelerate and scale up to support the renewable energy movement globally (courtesy of Energy Dome).
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