Royal Society predicts the UK will need 100TWh of grid-scale energy storage in 2050. Their recent report analyses what will be needed to facilitate the UK government’s commitment to have all electricity by 2035 come from low carbon sources, highlighting an increase in battery storage capacity as a necessary step to reach this target.
Supporting intermittent energy sources
Wind and solar are currently the most prevalent clean energy sources, providing over 30 per cent of the UK’s electricity and representing the cheapest form of renewable energy. However, since their supply is intermittent, they will need to be supported by flexible supply and energy storage solutions.
Increasing the rollout of energy storage technology and infrastructure across the UK will vary depending on local factors, demand, weather and climate, and available sites. This represents a significant challenge for the UK green sector, as the TWhs needed to support intermittent clean technologies are 1000 times more than is currently provided by pumped hydro, and more than could be provided cost effectively by batteries.
What is driving the demand for energy storage?
“The need for long term storage has been seriously underestimated,” said Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, lead author of the Royal Society’s report. “Demand for electricity is expected to double by 2050 with the electrification of heat, transport, and industrial processing, as well as increases in the use of air conditioning, economic growth, and changes in population.”
The cost of solar power has declined by as much as 87 per cent in the last decade, with the cost of battery storage falling 85 per cent over the same period. Wind power has seen similar cost declines. As renewable energy sources become increasingly affordable and available, the need to store their output to service peaks and troughs in demand has increased.
Overall, general demand for energy fuelled by population growth, further electrification, and changes to our energy system will place more responsibility on energy storage systems in order to service this demand and ensure energy supplies are reliable and consistent.
Hydrogen stores for a renewable future
To meet the needs of the UK’s energy system in 2050, the construction of large-scale hydrogen stores must begin in the near future. Currently, there are just three hydrogen storage caverns in the UK which have been active since 1972. Increasing the number of hydrogen storage systems in the UK, as well as advanced compressed air energy storage (ACAES) systems, is essential for reducing energy costs in the future and tapping into reliable supply chains.
Overall, the most realistic clean energy system is one in which the UK is powered primarily by wind and solar, with support from hydrogen, nuclear, hydro, and other clean sources. This system will need the support of battery systems to respond to demand fluctuations, stabilise the grid, and reduce energy costs in the future.
