Utility Scale Storage

The United States continues to set quarterly records for energy storage installations across each key market segment, said a report from Wood Mackenzie.

UK-based Caldera has developed a new heat storage technology that can reportedly convert on-site generated solar power into on-demand heat, thus replacing conventional gas boilers. The system uses a composite of recycled aluminum and volcanic rocks to store heat at up to 500 C and produce steam.

LG Chem has announced that its Platform Technology R&D team has developed a temperature-responsive Safety Reinforced Layer (SRL), a material which is described as capable of surpressing thermal runaway. The material was analyzed in collaboration with researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea, while the safety verification was conducted in partnership with LG Energy Solution.

Once electricity prices hit $0.25/kWh, disconnecting from the grid with residential solar-plus-storage starts to become financially viable, with sunny places making strong financial arguments. With recent drops in battery prices, the case for leaving the grid has grown even stronger.

While different institutions are making the case for hydrogen production offshore or in proximity to the coast, the European Commission is preparing to move forward with its second hydrogen auction.

There’s a rejuvenated feeling in the UK solar market where a new government is making positive signals and considering key policy changes aimed at speeding up project commissioning. For storage, there’s still serious interest in utility-scale deployment with some significant projects in the pipeline.

Western Australian battery technology company Altech Batteries has announced its first Cerenergy ABS60 salt-based battery energy storage system prototype is online and operating successfully across a range of temperatures, confirming its thermal stability and commercial viability.

Philippines’ Department of Energy cleared 29 utility-scale solar projects in the January-August period. Most of them have a capacity of more than 180 MW and four of them even exceed 500 MW. The list also includes eight floating projects each exceeding 100 MW.

Pending approval, a total of €167.6 million ($187.1 million) has been allocated toward 46 standalone thermal and electrical energy storage projects, with a cost range from €170/kWh to €409/kWh.

According to the draft of the auction rules published by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the procurement exercise will be held in June 2025 for systems with a power output of at least 30 MW that can store energy for at least four hours a day. The draft says that the contracts will cover a period of 10 years, with operation starting in July 2029.