Long-duration battery storage could reduce the curtailment of wind power by up to 65%, helping Britain maximise its renewable energy potential.

Working with Cumulus Energy Storage and the University of Southampton, Energy Systems Catapult is aiming to demonstrate a Renewable Copper storage technology at an operational wind farm.

Funded through the Longer Duration Energy Storage Demonstration competition, part of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, the project aims to develop a rechargeable Copper/Zinc (CuZn) battery technology to provide long duration (4-12 hour) electricity storage with lower carbon emissions and lower costs compared to other storage systems.

CuZn battery storage could save 60 tonnes CO2eq/MWh/year compared with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technologies, and could reduce by 27-65% the need for the grid operator to pay wind farms – at a cost to consumers – to curtail their output. The project aims to boost the CuZn battery’s technology readiness level and assess routes-to-market to identify business and revenue models to support the technology.

A later phase of the project will aim to demonstrate the technology at a UK wind farm to assess its impact on curtailment reduction, revenue streams and battery performance – all of which will provide insight to BEIS and Ofgem to inform future policy and projects.

Good Energy commissioned Energy Systems Catapult to carry out whole system scenario modelling – with the specific constraints of allowing no nuclear power or fossil fuel energy supply – to determine if Net Zero by 2050 was still possible.

We utilised our Energy System Modelling Environment – which is a peer reviewed, least cost optimisation model. Plus our new ESME Flex model – which provides a greater level of detail into how the energy system might function under Good Energy’s chosen scenarios.

The SFM platform produces highly granular dispatch information and explores the different roles and responsibilities of energy technologies and services in 2050, on an hour-by-hour basis.

Good Energy used the modelling results to compile a report supporting their efforts to increase renewable energy generation and storage in the coming decades.

The Integrating Tidal Energy into the European Grid (ITEG) project aims to generate a clean, predictable energy supply from renewable sources in areas with weak electricity networks.   

Energy Systems Catapult is partnering with 15 cooperating organisations on this €11 million initiative, which is spearheaded by Interreg North-West Europe and led by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) at their world-leading tidal test facility in the Orkney Islands off Scotland. 

One innovative, multi-vector solution being tested by UK SME Orbital Marine Power. Their Orbital O2 next-generation 2MW floating tidal energy converter has been installed along with AREVA H2Gen’s new 500kW hydrogen electrolyser and a bespoke energy management system. This uses excess renewable electricity generation to create hydrogen that can be stored for use at a later date. 

The consortium needed a partner to analyse the impact on the whole energy system – helping to create a robust business case for deployment at scale and to identify productive routes for technology development.  

Energy Systems Catapult is drawing on:

• Local Area Energy Planning of Orkney using our EnergyPath® Networks tool
• National Energy Systems Modelling for UK and European analysis using Energy Systems Modelling Environment
• Systems Engineering team is looking at integration between the tidal turbine, electrolyser and local energy system to optimise for technical and economic performance
• Renewables & Marine Energy, Energy Storage and Hydrogen teams are contributing technical expertise
• Consumer Insights are supporting social studies with the local community.