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The State Electricity Commission (SEC) of Victoria and Milan-based energy storage company Energy Dome will develop a 20-megawatt compressed carbon dioxide battery at a new 143ha site near Morwell in the Latrobe Valley, in what is being described as an Australian first.
The long-duration battery, to be built at a precinct called SEC Energy Works, will store cheap renewable electricity generated during the day and discharge it overnight across a 10-hour window, delivering 200 megawatt-hours of storage capacity.
The project is expected to support up to 66 jobs in a region undergoing a protracted transition away from coal-fired power generation.
Energy Dome's technology works by compressing and expanding carbon dioxide in a closed-loop system to store and release energy, requiring no lithium, cobalt or other critical minerals.
The company completed its first full-scale plant in Ottana, Sardinia, in July last year and is now planning replica projects with NTPC in India, Alliant Energy in Wisconsin, and Google globally as part of the tech giant's push to decarbonise its data centre operations.
The Italian company claims the system has a lifespan exceeding 30 years with no capacity degradation, round-trip efficiency above 70 per cent, and capital expenditure that is 1.7 times cheaper than lithium-ion batteries at comparable durations.
SEC says battery technology is playing an "increasingly vital role" in Victoria’s energy system, storing surplus renewable generation during the day, and releasing it during evening peaks to help stabilise supply and put downward pressure on power prices.
While Australia has seen a proliferation of battery storage in recent years, SEC says much of this has focused on shorter duration technologies, providing two to four hours of energy storage to support the grid during the morning and/or evening peaks.
“Long-duration energy storage will play a foundational, system-level role in Victoria’s future energy system, firming variable renewable generation (from wind and solar) to deliver the around-the-clock reliability of supply that’s needed to power our homes, businesses and communities,” says SEC chief executive officer Chris Miller.
“As an integrated generator and retailer of 100 per cent renewable electricity to commercial and industrial customers, we envisage long-duration energy storage will play a critical role in balancing our portfolio, enabling SEC to provide additional support to the system during multi-hour or multi-day wind or solar droughts."
Energy Dome CEO Claudio Spadacini has previously said the compressed carbon dioxide approach offers a cost and durability advantage over lithium-ion batteries for storage durations beyond four hours, a segment of the market where few commercially proven technologies exist at scale.
“Partnering with SEC to bring long-duration energy storage to Victoria is a defining moment for Energy Dome," says Spadacini.
"Our carbon dioxide battery delivers 10 to 12 hours of clean, dispatchable power, using proven compressor and turbine technology familiar to the Latrobe Valley workforce.
"This project will help support the region's transition from coal while maintaining the engineering skills that have powered Victoria for generations."
The Victorian Government expects the project to anchor the Latrobe Valley's future in clean energy.
"SEC will continue to add projects to the site, expanding renewable energy and storage in the Latrobe Valley," says the government.
"This investment is part of Labor’s Victorian Energy Jobs Plan, which is delivering more than $18 billion in wages to regional Victorian workers by 2040 and $4.6 billion in Latrobe-Gippsland region alone."
Financial terms of the partnership between the SEC and Energy Dome, including the total project cost and any government funding contribution, have not been disclosed.
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