Carbon dioxide usually gets a bad name in environmental circles, often cited as a top contributor to climate change. But now, in an innovative twist, Google is turning this greenhouse gas into a key player in clean energy storage. Teaming up with Italian energy company Energy Dome, the tech giant is backing a carbon dioxide-powered battery system designed to stabilize and store energy from renewable sources like solar and wind.
The challenge with renewable energy sources like wind and solar is their unpredictability. While they offer clean power, the energy flow is heavily weather-dependent. To bridge that gap, Google is investing in long-duration energy storage (LDES), a technology designed to hold energy for extended periods and release it when needed. That’s where Energy Dome’s CO? battery comes in.
Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, which are only efficient for about four hours of energy discharge, Energy Dome’s solution can deliver clean power for a full 24 hours. The system operates inside a large, sealed dome filled with carbon dioxide gas. When renewable power is abundant, the system compresses the CO? into a liquid and stores it. Later, when the grid needs more electricity, the liquid CO? is allowed to expand back into a gas, which drives a turbine similar to the release of steam from a pressure cooker, as Google describes it. The gas is then recaptured and stored again, ready for another cycle.
This approach isn’t just theoretical. Energy Dome has already demonstrated the technology’s potential through a commercial-scale plant in Italy with a capacity of 20 megawatts and 200 megawatt-hours.
Google is optimistic about the scalability and commercial readiness of Energy Dome’s CO? battery. In a statement, the company said, “LDES, which Energy Dome is leading with its CO? Battery, has the potential to commercialize much faster than some of the other advanced clean energy technologies in our portfolio.” The move aligns with Google’s larger goal to power all its operations with clean energy and to create a more flexible, reliable global grid.
While no specific rollout plans have been disclosed, Energy Dome confirmed that Google has also invested financially in the company, further cementing its confidence in the CO? battery’s future.
Google’s Director of EMEA Energy, Maud Texier, added, “Google is committed to powering our operations with clean energy, and Energy Dome’s technologically proven and scalable long-duration energy storage solution can help us unlock rapid progress.”
She emphasized that the benefits go beyond just Google, pointing to broader goals of improving energy access and resilience worldwide.
Sources: Google, Energy Dome