Google Will Store Energy in Giant Domes Filled With CO2
1 min read
Summary
Italian energy storage company Energy Dome has signed a deal with Google to build multiple storage facilities that use CO2 to store energy.
The CO2 is stored as a gas in a dome and when energy is cheap, it is compressed into liquid form and stored in carbon steel tanks.
When demand is high, the liquid CO2 is converted back into a gas to spin a turbine and generate electricity.
It has a higher energy density than air and liquefies at ambient temperatures under pressure.
The process can dispatch energy for up to 24 hours, considerably longer than the maximum four hours for lithium-ion batteries, and has a 30-year lifespan.
Google believes the project “can unlock new clean energy for grids where we operate before 2030” and the technology has also attracted a $30m grant from the US Department of Energy.
