Highview Power, a leader in long-duration energy storage solutions, has announced that it has developed a world first – a modular cryogenic energy storage system, the CRYOBattery, that is scalable up to multiple gigawatt hours of energy storage and can be located anywhere. This technology reaches a new benchmark for a levelised cost of storage (LCOS) of $140/MWh for a 10-hour, 200 MW/2 GWh system. Highview Power’s system is said to be equivalent in performance to, and could potentially replace, a fossil fuel power station. Highview’s systems can enable renewable energy baseload power at a large scale, while also supporting electricity and distribution systems and providing energy security.
Highview Power’s proprietary cryogenic energy storage technology, which uses liquid air as the storage medium, can provide all the services essential for a robust grid including time shifting, synchronous voltage support, frequency regulation and reserves, synchronous inertia, and black start capabilities. The system’s advantage over alternative long-duration technologies, such as pumped hydro-power or compressed air, the Highview system can be sited more or less anywhere. It has a small footprint, even at multiple gigawatt-levels, and does not use hazardous materials.
It’s advantage over battery technologies is sheer size. Other long-duration energy storage technologies such as Lithium-ion typically offer storage in the range of 4-8 hours of storage compared to weeks for a large cryobattery.
“This is a pivotal moment for the renewable energy industry and for anyone who wants to deploy large amounts of renewables,” said Javier Cavada, president and CEO of Highview Power. “As more and more renewables are added to the grid, long-duration, giga-scale energy storage is the necessary foundation to make these intermittent sources of power reliable enough to become baseload”.
Cavada said the CRYOBattery can enable grid operators to maximize renewable penetration without needing fossil fuel generation to make up for intermittency. “This makes replacing gas peaker power plants with a combination of solar, wind, and energy storage a viable reality and truly sets the stage for a future where 100% of the world¹s electricity comes from clean energy sources.”
Highview Power has also developed its own proprietary BLU core controller system. It is said to control seamlessly all CRYOBattery components to provide optimal facility performance, managing the balance between flexibility, efficiency, and response.
Linkedin
