Google invests in carbon dioxide battery company Energy Dome

In a groundbreaking move, Google has signed its first commercial long-duration storage deal with Energy Dome, an Italian startup that aims to mainstream CO2 batteries. This innovative technology could revolutionise the energy storage sector.

Energy Dome's unique system uses electricity to pump carbon dioxide into a compressor, which heats and pressurises the gas before turning it into a liquid. This liquefied carbon dioxide is stored in carbon steel tanks, ready to be used when needed.

When energy is required, an evaporator turns the liquid into pressurised gas, which is pumped through turbines to generate electricity continuously for between eight and 24 hours. Unlike a lithium battery, which loses power over time, the stored CO2 can maintain its power volumes for long periods.

Ben Potter, Energy Dome's chief operating officer, stated that the company uses off-the-shelf components from established supply chains for its innovation. This approach could make the technology more affordable and potentially easier to finance.

The Google deal aims to develop CO2 battery projects in Europe, America, and the Asia-Pacific region, with the goal of scaling up deployment at a rapid pace. A pipeline of sites and projects for CO2 battery deployment has been identified by the companies, which are currently in development and contracting stages.

In December, Energy Dome inked an offtake agreement with the French utility Engie for its first pilot project in Sardinia. The first Google-funded CO2 battery project by Energy Dome, which is in development and contract phase according to their press release, is planned to have its location in Italy.

Energy Dome has also made a deal to build its first 160 MW project in India. The update on July 25 clarified the physics of how the Energy Dome system works.

Google has a history of backing next-generation technologies. Previously, it has backed next-generation small modular reactors, a nuclear fusion company, and signed the world's biggest hydropower deal. The company's latest investment in Energy Dome underscores its commitment to sustainable energy solutions.

However, the spokesperson for Energy Dome declined to release the terms of the deal. As the technology advances and more projects come online, we can expect to see more details about the partnership between Google and Energy Dome.