Three innovative energy storage types set to strengthen UK power grid

London: As renewable energy grows to power over one-third of the UK’s electricity, new types of energy storage are emerging to keep the lights on when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow.

Nathan Ritson, technical manager at renewable energy supplier Good Energy, said: “With the good old British weather, you find you’re over-generating at certain times, and under-generating at others.” Solar and wind are expanding rapidly, but their intermittency remains a key challenge.

A major part of the solution is storing surplus electricity. Grid-scale batteries are already playing a vital role, balancing supply and demand across the country. Home and commercial batteries are also becoming more common.

But batteries are not the only option. Experts point to three emerging technologies that could support the UK’s power network in future. These include large-scale thermal storage units using molten salt, systems that use liquid air to store energy, and other technologies that vary widely in scale and function.

With more renewables coming online, the ability to store surplus electricity is becoming crucial to building a reliable, low-carbon energy system.