Contact Information: Contact Name: Lizzi Gold E-mail: lg@rheenergise.com Website: www.rheenergise.com Funding required: £7,000,000 (£600,000 already secured)
The Solution RheEnergise has developed High-Density Hydro® (HDH): a low-cost, scalable energy storage technology. HDH is based on conventional pumped hydro storage, but solves the key issues which prevent widespread deployment. Pumped hydro storage works by using cheap, abundant energy to pump water up a hill. When demand rises or renewable generation is curtailed, the water flows back down through turbines, regenerating electricity. RheEnergise’s key innovation is using a high- density fluid instead of water, which provides various benefits: projects can either be 60% smaller volumetrically (cheaper, quicker to consent and construct) or can be installed on hills 60% lower (many more potential sites- projects can be installed almost anywhere). Projects are also entirely closed loop, eliminating environmental concerns around flooding valleys and expediating planning consents. The fluid (R19) is a mineral suspension (70% solid content), stabilised by the addition of polymer(s). R19 has a specifically engineered rheological profile to provide desirable macroscopic characteristics: 2.5x denser than water; non-viscous; stable for up to 40 days without interference. Maintaining the integrity of the fluid throughout the 60-year project lifespan is achieved through a specific fluid management system.
RheEnergise is enabling energy transition with High-Density Hydro®: a low-cost, globally scalable energy storage solution. High-Density Hydro is based on pumped hydro storage but uses a fluid 2.5x denser than water. This means projects can be installed on low hills rather than mountains. There are potentially suitable sites almost everywhere. The Problem Energy systems need to rapidly decarbonise to achieve net-zero. Renewable energy is abundant and low-cost, but wind and solar supply is intermittent, and the rising share of renewables connected to the grid creates structural strains on the power system. There are three primary challenges: balancing variable supply with demand; changing transmission patterns; and decreasing system stability. The UK currently relies on fossil-fuel burning plants (gas, diesel, coal) to provide grid stability, but they have high emissions, and the Russia- Ukraine conflict has led to global concerns about the security of energy supply. In the UK, renewable projects face connection delays of >5 years due to continued under-investment in grid infrastructure (1MWh storage enables 1MWh additional renewables). We need a clean solution (energy storage). The need for energy storage is enormous: BloombergNEF forecasts that the global need is >400 GW by 2030; a 10x increase from 2022. There are various alternative energy storage solutions available currently, but many are in their infancy, and each have their limitations: no one solution is able to meet the needs of the energy transition. We urgently need to develop alternative energy storage solutions to achieve net-zero targets, in the rapid timescales demanded by the climate crisis.
High-Density Hydro is first-of-a-kind, blending innovative chemistry with environmental engineering in a mechanical system
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