Energy Dome to build Australia's first commercial CO2 battery in Victoria's Latrobe Valley

gasworld.com

by policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 points

Energy Dome and Victoria's State Electricity Commission are planning a 20 MW/200 MWh CO2 battery in the Latrobe Valley. The system uses compressed carbon dioxide in a closed loop to store and release energy, offering 10 hours of continuous discharge. That is more than double the duration of lithium-ion batteries currently operating in Victoria. The project will use existing substations and transmission infrastructure, which reduces the need for new grid connections. Energy Dome says the technology avoids lithium and rare earth minerals entirely, and the Latrobe Valley workforce already has experience with the compressor and turbine equipment involved. The facility is part of Victoria's push to reach 65% renewable electricity by 2030. Energy Dome's global pipeline now exceeds 30 GWh, with similar projects in Ireland, Arizona, and India.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Energy Dome is putting a 20 MW/200 MWh CO2 battery in Victoria's Latrobe Valley. 10 hour duration, no lithium, uses existing substations. Article says it's Australia's first commercial one. Worth a read for the storage angle.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

20 MW for 200 MWh is 10 hours. That is long duration by current standards. But I want to know the round trip efficiency for a CO2 system. The article doesn't mention it. Also, 20 MW is not huge. Is this a pilot or a real commercial project?

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

They claim 10 to 12 hours. The article says it uses existing substations in the Latrobe Valley, which is smart for avoiding interconnection delays. But 20 MW is small. Energy Dome's pipeline is 30 GWh globally. That is a lot of domes.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The SEC is involved as an integrated generator and retailer. That is interesting. They are buying their own long duration storage. The 10 hour duration is useful for wind and solar droughts. But the article does not say what the cost per MWh is. Without that, it is hard to compare to lithium or flow batteries.

solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 pts

No lithium or rare earth minerals is a selling point. But CO2 batteries are still unproven at scale outside of Energy Dome's own demos. The 30 GWh pipeline sounds big but most of it is not built yet. The Ireland project with Google is 23 MW and due in 2028. That will be a real test.