Inquiry launched into long-duration energy storage  

The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has launched an inquiry into long-duration energy storage as part of the UK’s ambitions to decarbonise the grid.

The government has set a target for a fully decarbonised electricity system by 2035.

The inquiry will seek to establish whether the government has sufficient policies in place to support medium and long-duration energy storage and whether it is on track to deliver this component of a net zero energy system.

Baroness Brown of Cambridge, chair of the committee, said: “The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee is conducting an inquiry into long-duration energy storage technologies and the role they have to play in a net zero electricity grid.

“Deploying large-scale long-duration energy storage infrastructure will require significant investment and skilled engineering capacity, but the case for private investment is uncertain at present. Estimates for how much storage will be needed depend on a range of factors and assumptions around future electricity supply and demand. There may be non-financial challenges to building the infrastructure necessary to store and transport energy around the country.

“The Committee will be taking evidence on these issues and will seek to establish whether the Government has sufficient policies in place to support medium- and long-duration energy storage and whether it is on track to deliver this crucial component of a net zero energy system.”

The committee is taking written submissions to the inquiry, with the evidence deadline set for 11 September.

In particular, the committee seeks to understand:

• The amount of medium- and long-duration energy storage needed to reach the Government’s targets.
• The future balance of supply and demand on the grid. For example, the possible roles of nuclear power, demand-side management, or interconnectors to reduce the need for storage.
• The role and readiness of different technologies for long and medium-duration energy storage.
• Policies currently in place to support deployment of storage and whether they are sufficient to support deployment at scale.
• The non-financial barriers to the deployment of large-scale energy storage, such as skills, infrastructure, or safety concerns.

Three energy storage projects, including what will be the longest duration battery system connected to the UK grid, were awarded £30 million of government grants in April. It comes in addition to the £33 million of phase two grants allocated to five projects in November.