Google seeks renewable energy storage via bags of CO2 • The Register

Caught in a continuing race between its AI energy wants and carbon emissions discount pledges, Google’s newest sustainability dedication sees it contemplating large luggage of carbon dioxide as an answer to soiled power.

Google and Italian startup Power Dome not too long ago announced a deal that sees Google not solely deploying Power Dome’s gasoline luggage in numerous areas the place it operates datacenters, but in addition making a “strategic funding” in Power Dome for an unspecified amount of cash (Google declined to specify how a lot when requested).  

For these questioning what precisely Power Dome’s … uh … power domes are, consider them as one other in an extended line of long-duration power storage (LDES) options designed to retailer extra power generated by renewables like wind and photo voltaic. 

Whereas batteries are the commonest type of LDES, the renewable power increase has prompted the conceptualization of a variety of completely different LDES techniques. Gravity batteries are some of the widespread (i.e., elevating a heavy weight up when extra energy is out there and dropping it again down when there’s an power scarcity). Whereas not a gravity battery, Power Dome’s product undoubtedly fills the identical area of interest.

As a substitute of elevating and decreasing heavy weights, Power Dome makes use of a closed-loop system to pressurize CO₂ gasoline right into a liquid when renewable power is plentiful. When power is scarce, the CO₂ liquid is heated again right into a gasoline used to show a turbine, which spits the now-evaporated CO₂ again into an enormous bag. Repeat cycle as wanted.  

However why set up an enormous bag of gasoline for storing electrical energy when batteries work just fine? It is a matter of capability, Google famous. 

“Lithium-ion batteries, which generally retailer and dispatch energy for 4 hours or much less, have been essential for including electrical energy capability to grids and managing short-term fluctuations in renewable technology,” Google identified. However that four-hour period limits their utility. 

With an enormous bag of gasoline from Power Dome, nevertheless, Google would have power for “various hours, or perhaps a full day,” the corporate mentioned. With its power footprint having risen 48 percent since 2019 regardless of a pledge to go carbon-neutral by 2030, Google may use any clear power offset it may get. 

Power Dome describes every of its models as site-specific and customized to the consumer’s wants, and the corporate’s web site makes no point out of the size-to-energy storage ratio. We requested, however did not hear again. 

It is also not clear whether or not Google intends to deploy Power Dome techniques at its services to function a colocated power resolution, or in the event that they’d be deployed on the grid and Google would purchase power from the models through an influence buy settlement. Primarily based on the language in Power Dome’s and Google’s bulletins of the deal, it seems on-grid installations are extra probably, however Google declined to reply the query.

Nonetheless, Google is assured that its funding within the know-how will likely be value greater than among the different pie-in-the-sky renewable energy ventures it has engaged in.

LDES know-how from Power Dome “has the potential to commercialize a lot quicker than among the different superior clear power applied sciences in our portfolio,” Google admitted in its press launch. “This implies we will use it within the close to time period to assist the electrical energy system develop extra flexibly and reliably, alongside different instruments we’re creating.”

A Google spokesperson added that, in contrast to a few of these different tasks, Power Dome’s tech “has already confirmed profitable.” Google cited two Italian services – a demo website and a full-scale 20MW/200MWh plant – have been up and working for greater than three years. Power Dome additionally has offers to construct gasoline luggage with different firms in Italy, the US, and India. 

Power Dome credit its design, which depends solely on off-the-shelf elements, as a part of the explanation its tech has been really easy to actualize.

As for the place or when the primary Google gasoline bag may seem, you may must maintain your eyes open as a result of whereas Google did verify the deal, as soon as once more, it would not share any particulars. ®