Central energy storage uk

How can energy storage help the UK's energy supply?

Energy storage technologies offer huge potential for the UK’s energy supply. The industry can deliver significant benefits for both system stability and security of supply as well as helping decarbonise UK energy supplies.

How can electricity be stored?

Electricity can be stored in a variety of ways, including in batteries, by compressing air, by making hydrogen using electrolysers, or as heat. Storing hydrogen in solution-mined salt caverns will be the best way to meet the long-term storage need as it has the lowest cost per unit of energy storage capacity.

What is the UK energy storage group?

The REA launched the UK Energy Storage group to help the industry reach its potential and this has now grown to over 100 member companies active across a range of technologies and scales. Storage technologies can be deployed at different scales on a distributed and/or centralised basis.

Is energy storage a crossroads in the UK?

In the UK, Ofgem have funded a number of innovative projects aimed at the transition to a low carbon grid (the Low Carbon Network Fund). Many of these projects have included energy storage, as illustrated in the map below. Energy storage stands at something of a crossroads in the UK at the time of publication (autumn 2016).

What can we expect from the future of energy storage?

These will be complemented by flexible capacity, including 23-27 GW of battery capacity, 4-6 GW of long‑duration energy storage, and development of flexibility technologies including gas carbon capture utilisation & storage, hydrogen, and substantial opportunity for consumer-led flexibility [footnote 2].

What is long-duration energy storage?

Long-duration energy storage technologies store excess power for long periods to even out the supply. In March 2024, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee said increasing the UK’s long-duration energy storage capacity would support the UK’s net zero plans and energy security.