Google has announced a global commercial partnership and investment with Milan-based startup Energy Dome to use its CO₂ battery technology for long-duration energy storage (LDES), supporting Google’s 24/7 renewable energy goals by 2030.
The Energy Dome CO₂ battery works by using electricity from solar or wind when it is plentiful to compress carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas into a liquid, which is stored in tanks.
When energy is needed, the stored liquid CO₂ is converted back into gas, expanding under pressure to drive a turbine that generates electricity.
This process allows for energy storage and release lasting 8-24 hours, far exceeding the typical 4-hour limit of lithium-ion batteries, thus making it possible to cover periods when renewable generation is not available.
Key advantages:
- Longer duration: Can reliably dispatch stored energy for 8-24 hours, enabling more consistent renewable power.
- Cost and scalability: Projected to be more cost-effective than lithium-ion batteries and designed with a modular approach, allowing for flexible deployment at various scales.
- Sustainability: Uses carbon dioxide as the working fluid in a closed loop, minimising greenhouse gas leakage and environmental impact.
Google sees this technology as a step to “bring this technology to scale faster and at lower costs” and help enable grid resilience and cleaner global operations.
Energy Dome has successfully operated a commercial demonstration plant in Italy and is expanding deployment globally.
The partnership aims to accelerate the adoption of LDES solutions needed for a fully carbon-free electricity grid.
Read also: Energy storage: The long view
