Case for LDES
Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) is a technology that stores energy and then dispatches it as power, heat or cooling for extended periods of time, ranging from 8 hours to days, weeks or seasons. It takes various forms, including chemical, thermal, mechanical and electrochemical storage. LDES is critical for operating a secure, reliable, affordable and clean energy system.
Why LDES matters
Energy systems are changing fast. Electricity demand is rising, renewables are scaling, and the need to cut emissions is more urgent than ever. The missing link is flexibility: storing abundant renewable energy so it’s not wasted and is available to use when needed
LDES facilitates a high-renewables energy system, by delivering clean, consistent power and heat, even when renewables aren’t available. By storing energy for hours, days or seasons, LDES fills critical gaps, strengthens reliability and accelerates the shift to a net-zero future.
By enabling LDES technologies, we can build an energy future that delivers:
Energy Security
LDES delivers power and heat when they’re needed most – strengthening grids, supporting critical industries and reducing reliance on imported fuels. It helps societies withstand supply shocks, extreme weather, and other disruptions with dependable, 24/7 energy.
Energy Affordability
LDES makes energy systems more efficient, reducing waste, cutting reliance on costly fuels and helping keep power affordable for households, businesses and communities. At the same time, clear market signals unlock investment and deployment, creating a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity.
Clean Energy Future
LDES facilitates a high renewables energy system, by ensuring clean, consistent power and heat, even when renewables aren’t available. By storing energy for hours, days or seasons, LDES fills critical gaps, strengthens reliability and accelerates the shift to a net-zero future.
LDES Technologies
at a glance
LDES isn’t one technology – it’s a family of solutions. Thermal, electrochemical, mechanical and chemical systems all work differently, but share the same goal: capturing energy for long periods and releasing it when it’s needed most. Some are best for balancing grids, and others for delivering reliable, clean heat and power to heavy industry and other large energy users.
Thermal / TES
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power to heat
Power to heat to Power
Thermal energy storage systems can store heat or cold to be used later. These technologies convert electricity from the grid or nearby renewable generators into thermal energy that is stored in inexpensive materials, such as molten salt, bricks or rocks. Thermal energy storage systems can store energy from hours to weeks before converting it back to electrical energy or discharging the heat or cooling directly.
The application of thermal energy storage with renewable energy sources, waste heat or surplus energy production can replace heat or cold generation from fossil-fuels, providing reliable clean energy to consumers. Whilst is has many use cases it will be particularly essential for industrial decarbonisation. In Europe, the IEA has estimated that around 1.4 million GWh per year could be saved – and 400 million tons of CO2 emissions avoided – in the building and industrial sectors by more extensive use of heat and cold storage.
Read more about thermal energy in our report here.
Latent heat (solid-liquid)
- MGA Thermal
- 1414 Degrees
- EnergyIntel
Sensible heat
- Brenmiller
Sensible heat (solids / liquids)
- Malta
- Build to Zero
- Hyme
Sensible heat (solids)
- Echogen Power Systems
- Kraftnlock
- Magaldi
- Antora
- Rondo
Video
Electrochemical
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power to power
Electrochemical energy storage technologies are battery systems comprising a wide range of different chemistries, including flow batteries, metal-air batteries, zinc, sodium and lithium-ion. These types of batteries can operate over longer durations.
During charging, electrical energy is used to drive a reversible chemical reaction. The energy is held in chemical form, either within solid materials or liquid electrolytes. When power is needed, the stored chemical energy is converted back into electricity, typically by reversing the chemical reaction.
Flow Battery
- i-Battery
- Cellcube
- Invinity
- Rongke Power
- Sumitomo Electric Industries
- Terraflow Energy
- XL Batteries
Metal Anode
- CATL
- E-Zinc
- Enervenue
- Slb
Non-Metal Electrochemical Storage
- Ceres
- Noon Energy
- Hithium
Video
Mechanical
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power to power
Mechanical energy storage works in complex systems that use heat, water or air with compressors, turbines and other machinery. Currently, the most widely deployed large-scale mechanical energy storage technology is pumped hydro-storage (PHS). Other well-known mechanical energy storage technologies include flywheels, gravity-based, compressed air energy storage (CAES) and liquid air energy storage (LAES).
PHS has been deployed since 1907, and CAES since 1978. We are seeing the next wave of innovation with these technologies that are increasing security, reliability, flexibility and the duration of today’s energy storage solutions.
Compressed Air Energy Storage
- Hydrostor
Pumped Hydro Storage
- Arecor
- Quidnet
Gravity-Based
- Energy Vault
Liquid Air Energy Storage
- Sumitomo SHI-FW
Video
Chemical
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power to x
Hydrogen and other energy-carrying chemicals can be produced from a variety of energy sources, in particular renewable energy and nuclear power. Converting energy from these sources into chemical forms creates high energy density fuels. These fuels can be stored in various forms such as compressed gas, in liquid form or bonded in substances. After conversion, chemical storage can feed power back into the grid, or the chemical can be fed into industrial or transportation applications. The flexibility of being able to determine the point in time for importing and exporting energy provides opportunities for revenue and decarbonisation.
- Ceres Power
- Mainspring Energy