Utility Scale Storage

Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) has launched a tender to select developers for 1.5 GW of firm and dispatchable power from renewable power projects with energy storage systems. Bidding closes on Sept. 15.

UK researchers suggested utilizing heat pumps to preheat hydrogen to very high temperatures, which they said could reduce the need for hydrogen by more than 20%. The process is also claimed to have the potential to reduce the European industry’s energy demand by approximately 200 TWh per year.

Australia-based MGA Thermal has secured AUD 8.25 million ($5.39 million) from domestic and international investors as it gears up for commercial-scale production of its thermal long-duration energy storage solution.

Energy Vault has started commissioning a 25 MW/100 MWh energy storage facility adjacent to a wind power facility near Shanghai.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a scalable bulk energy storage solution with inexpensive, abundant precursors – cement, water, and carbon black. Their supercapacitors have high storage capacity, high-rate charge-discharge capabilities, and structural strength.

JSW Energy says it plans to set up a green hydrogen plant with an annual capacity of 3,800 tons to supply steel to JSW Steel, driven by 25 MW of renewable energy.

Shanghai University scientists have started researching molybdenum-doped nickel-cobalt phosphide catalysts for hydrogen production, and Indian scientists have devised a method to produce hydrogen from methanol.

With the rapid growth in electric vehicle (EV) demand bringing fears of a mountain of EV battery waste piling up further down the line, the EU-Swiss government-funded Recirculate program is planning how to keep batteries in use for much longer before they head to recyclers.

Romania is resuming the development of the Tarniţa Lăpuşteşti pumped hydro storage project, with a planned capacity of 500 MW to 1 GW. It will be the first installation of its kind in the country.

Pexapark, a Swiss consultancy, has studied energy storage drivers, value streams, contractual agreements, and regional perspectives in Europe. It says that one obstacle to deployment is the inability to properly model revenue, and notes that 15% of companies plan to use AC coupling for projects in the next three years.