Google teams up with Energy Dome to deploy CO₂ battery
Google teams up with Energy Dome to deploy CO₂ battery, a technology that uses carbon-free electricity to power buildings and operations. Dubbed a new kind of energy storage system, it works by capturing carbon dioxide without releasing it into the air. This is kept in a closed system – a dome-shaped battery in this case – so there are no emissions, and then the system uses the electricity to compress the captured carbon dioxide into liquid. Later, when the electricity grid needs more power, the system turns the liquid CO₂ back into gas, and as it expands, it creates pressure and spins a turbine. In return, the turbine produces electricity that goes into the grid.
The energy company says that its battery can deliver electricity for eight to 24 hours, meaning even during times when there is no wind or sun. This battery can store clean energy when there is an extra supply and send it back to the power grid when needed. Energy Dome has already built and tested the technology in Italy for more than three years, and there’s a full-size commercial plant ready, with 20 megawatts of power and the ability to store 200 megawatt-hours of electricity. It sees the CO₂ battery as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries and hydroelectric storage used these days. Google and Energy Dome have signed a partnership to build projects in Italy, the United States, and India, with the aim of building more energy-storing domes across cities over time.
all images courtesy of Energy Dome
Storing electricity to use for later instead of in real time
Energy Dome’s CO₂ battery with Google targets the electricity demands from artificial intelligence systems and data centers, which require large amounts of power to operate. While wind and solar power are common sources of clean energy, they do not always produce electricity when it is needed (solar panels do not produce power at night, and wind turbines do not operate if the wind is not blowing). With the CO₂ battery, it can keep the extra electricity that these two sources have produced to use for later instead of using them in real time.
The energy and technology companies see long-duration energy storage as an ideal solution in this case. The CO₂ Battery uses standard industrial parts and does not depend on rare materials or limited supply chains. It includes mechanical components that rotate or parts that stabilize electricity grids by adding inertia. It used to be the traditional fossil fuel power plants that provided this function, but many of those plants are now being shut down.
Google teams up with Energy Dome to deploy CO₂ battery
CO₂ battery can make electricity systems reliable
Wind and solar power do not have rotating parts, so they do not provide inertia. In this case, Energy Dome’s CO₂ battery hopes to fill this gap by maintaining stable grid frequency. The two companies believe that by using this technology, electricity systems can become more flexible and reliable, and people are able to use clean electricity anytime. The battery system can also keep the grid continuous, adjusting itself to the demand and supply.
So far, the agreement between Google and Energy Dome on using the CO₂ battery plans to develop projects in regions across Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific, including partnerships with Alliant Energy in the United States, Engie in Italy, and NTPC in India. These projects are now in early stages of development and contracting.
it works by changing the liquified carbon dioxide into gas, which creates pressure to produce electricity
this is kept in a closed system – a dome-shaped battery in this case – so there are no emissions
the energy company says that its battery can deliver electricity for eight to 24 hours
project info:
name: CO₂ battery
companies: Google, Energy Dome | @google
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