A new report from Aurora Energy Research shows that up to 24GW of Long Duration Electricity Storage (LDES) – equivalent to eight times the current installed capacity – could be needed to integrate wind power into a secure Net Zero electricity system in the UK.
LDES technologies can respond to supply and demand variations caused by daily peaks, weather events and seasonal patterns. With over four hours of stored energy, examples of LDES include pumped hydro storage, Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES), Flow batteries and Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES). Aurora’s report demonstrates the benefits LDES could provide to the GB energy system by contributing towards security of supply and reducing emissions, costs and reliance on gas. The need for LDES has been recognised by policymakers but at present, high upfront costs, long lead times, a lack of revenue certainty and missing market signals, lead to underinvestment.
