Energy Dome
Carbon dioxide may not typically be associated with clean energy innovation, but a new collaboration between Google and Italian company Energy Dome is set to change that perception. The partnership will see CO₂ used within large-scale battery systems designed to balance and store renewable energy.
Tackling Renewable Energy Intermittency
According to Google, the agreement will enable the deployment of long-duration energy storage (LDES) technology across its global clean energy initiatives. These storage solutions are essential for addressing the intermittency of solar and wind power, which can fluctuate based on weather conditions. By storing energy during periods of high production and releasing it when output drops, such systems help ensure a steady power supply.
While lithium-ion batteries are widely used for energy storage, they typically offer only around four hours of dispatchable energy—sufficient for short-term needs but inadequate for longer disruptions in renewable generation.
How the CO₂ Battery System Works
That’s where Energy Dome’s technology steps in. The system consists of a sealed structure housing a dome filled with carbon dioxide gas.When turbines and solar panels generate surplus energy, the system compresses the CO₂ and stores it as a liquid. When the grid requires electricity, the system converts the liquid CO₂ back into gas, which drives a turbine—much like steam escaping a pressure cooker. It then returns the gas to the dome, ready to reuse in future cycles.
This system, Google reports, is capable of delivering entirely clean power to the grid for up to 24 hours—far exceeding the capabilities of conventional lithium-ion storage.
Energy Dome has already demonstrated the viability of its approach with a 20-MW/200-MWh commercial facility in Italy.
Rapid Scalability and Grid Reliability
Google stated that Energy Dome is rapidly advancing LDES with its CO₂ Battery, and they expect it to scale much faster than many other emerging clean energy technologies in their portfolio.That allows us to implement it in the near term to enhance grid flexibility and reliability, alongside tools like data center demand response.”
Energy Dome has confirmed that Google has not only partnered with the company but also invested in it, even though they have not yet disclosed specific deployment plans. The terms of that investment remain undisclosed.
Maud Texier, Google’s Director of EMEA Energy, said that Google is actively running its operations on clean energy and sees Energy Dome’s proven and scalable storage solution as a key step toward achieving that goal. But our aim extends beyond our own needs—we want to help communities worldwide access reliable, affordable electricity and support the resilience of grids as they transition to renewables.
Read the original article on: New Atlas
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