Renewable energies like wind and solar are clean, abundant, and cheap but notoriously unpredictable.
Imaginatively, it is called the CO2 battery.
The way it works is relatively simple.
CO2 gets stored in a gigantic dome.
The compression process also produces heat which is stored in bricks made ofsteel shot and quartzite for later use.
On its way back to the dome, however, the gas spins a turbine, producing electricity.
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Except, the use of CO2 brings a couple of distinct advantages.
Up to ten times smaller than compressed air, in fact.
But affordability is exactly where CO2 batteries excel.
Theyre built using steel, carbon dioxide, and water.
The rest of the components like pipes, compressors, and turbines can be purchased off the shelf.
According to Energy Dome, this means its system can produce electricity at half the cost of lithium-ion batteries.
Those are some impressive figures, which have naturally caught the attention of investors.
This adds to the 80mn in funding the startup has already secured.
Energy Dome already built a demonstration plant on the island last year.
The smaller, 2.5MW, facility is currently operating and transmitting power to the grid.
Story bySion Geschwindt
Sion is a freelance science and technology reporter, specialising in climate and energy.
