CO2 batteries -long duration

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The basic principle involves a closed-loop CO2 system with these main steps:

Charging Phase:
CO2 is compressed and heated, turning it into a supercritical fluid
This hot, pressurized CO2 is stored in high-pressure vessels
The thermal and pressure energy is effectively "stored"


Discharging Phase:
The pressurized CO2 is released through turbines
As it expands, it drives the turbines to generate electricity
The CO2 cools and returns to its gaseous state
It's then recaptured to restart the cycle

Key companies/technologies to research:
Energy Dome (Italian company) - has built commercial demonstration plants
Highview Power - while they use liquid air, their technology principles are similar
Malta Inc - works on related thermal energy storage systems

Benefits:
Round-trip efficiency can reach 75-80%
Storage duration from hours to days
Uses abundant, non-toxic materials
Lower geographical constraints compared to pumped hydro
Lower cost potential compared to lithium-ion for long duration

Challenges:
Infrastructure costs for pressure vessels
Need for efficient heat management
Scaling up the technology
Optimizing compression/expansion cycles

For authoritative information, I'd recommend checking:

Energy Dome's technical documentation (energydome.com)
Department of Energy's energy storage database
Academic papers from organizations like NREL or MIT on CO2-based energy storage

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Estimated Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS) in USD/kWh:

CO2 Batteries: $50-100/kWh (projected at scale)
Lithium-ion: $150-400/kWh
Vanadium Redox Flow (VRB): $150-300/kWh
Pumped Hydro: $150-200/kWh

Key cost advantages of CO2 batteries:

Materials
Uses abundant CO2 vs rare/expensive materials
No lithium, cobalt, or vanadium required
Less supply chain risk
No material degradation over time


Lifecycle Costs
20-30 year lifespan with minimal degradation
Lower maintenance requirements
No electrolyte replacement (unlike VRB)
No battery cell replacement (unlike Li-ion)


Scaling Advantages
Cost decreases significantly with scale
Simpler construction than VRB
No membrane costs
Standard industrial components (turbines, heat exchangers)

Limitations to consider:
Higher upfront capital costs
Less proven technology
Infrastructure requirements
Current lack of manufacturing scale

Worth noting that these costs are based on projections and early deployments - the technology is still maturing.

ore: https://claude.site/artifacts/835e0e...e-7a50127faccf

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CO2 compression in the context of renewable energy integration:

Compression Requirements:

Compression Power Needs

Typically requires 2-3 MW per 10 MWh storage capacity
Multi-stage compression for efficiency
Operating pressures: 70-150 bar
Temperature management crucial

Renewable Integration Options:

Solar PV + CO2 Battery


Use excess solar during peak hours
Buffer for night/cloudy periods
Good match with daily cycles
Thermal energy from solar can assist compression


Wind + CO2 Battery


Store excess wind energy during high generation
Cover wind lulls
Match variable wind patterns
Cold exhaust air can help cooling


Geothermal + CO2 Battery


Constant baseload for compression
Use geothermal heat to enhance efficiency
Combined heat-power systems possible
Year-round availability

Key Equipment/Technologies:

Industrial CO2 compressors (reciprocating/centrifugal)
Heat exchangers for thermal management
Pressure vessels (storage)
Smart control systems for renewable integration

Companies/Resources to research:

MAN Energy Solutions (CO2 compressors)
Atlas Copco Australia
Siemens Energy -Australia
Energy Dome's technical https://www.popularmechanics.com/sci...gy-dome-plant/

https://netl.doe.gov/sites/default/f...ES_Ferrari.pdf

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SMR (100 MWe):

Capital cost: ~$600-900 million
Land: 10-15 acres ($50,000-150,000)
Transmission: Relatively simple due to compact footprint (~$2-5 million)
Operating costs: ~$25-30/MWh
Decommissioning: ~$100-200 million
Lifetime: 40-60 years

Solar + CO2 Battery (to match 100 MWe firm):

Solar panels (~750,000): ~$150-200 million
Land (1.5-2 km²): ~$3-7 million
CO2 Battery (Malta or similar system for 12-16 hour storage): ~$200-300 million
Transmission (more complex due to distributed nature): ~$10-20 million
Operating costs: ~$10-15/MWh
Decommissioning: ~$20-30 million
Lifetime: 25-30 years (panels), 30+ years (storage)

Total Levelized Cost (LCOE):

SMR: ~$60-100/MWh
Solar+Storage: ~$70-110/MWh

Key considerations:

Solar costs continue declining while SMR costs have been relatively stable
CO2 battery technology is new and costs may decrease significantly
SMRs have longer lifetime but higher decommissioning costs
Regulatory costs for nuclear typically higher
Insurance costs higher for SMR

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Wind + CO2 Battery (to match 100 MWe firm):

Wind turbines (25-30 x 4MW turbines): ~$150-180 million
Land (spacing needed ~25-30 km², but most can be dual-use farmland): ~$1-2 million lease costs annually
CO2 Battery (for 8-12 hour storage, less than solar needs): ~$150-250 million
Transmission (more complex, longer distances): ~$20-40 million
Operating costs: ~$15-20/MWh
Decommissioning: ~$25-35 million
Lifetime: 20-25 years (turbines), 30+ years (storage)

SMR (100 MWe) - for comparison:

Capital cost: ~$600-900 million
Land: 10-15 acres ($50,000-150,000)
Transmission: ~$2-5 million
Operating costs: ~$25-30/MWh
Decommissioning: ~$100-200 million
Lifetime: 40-60 years

Total Levelized Cost (LCOE):

SMR: ~$60-100/MWh
Wind+Storage: ~$65-95/MWh

Key differences from solar:

Wind has higher capacity factor (~35-45% vs ~20-25% for solar)
Needs less storage capacity than solar
Requires more land but allows dual-use
More consistent day/night output
Transmission costs typically higher due to remote locations
Lower visual density (more spread out)