RheEnergise, a UK company developing a new and advanced form of long duration energy storage, is pleased to announce that its first ever High-Density Hydro energy project on the outskirts of Plymouth (Devon, UK), is now producing full power, at the predicted output and on a consistent basis.
RheEnergise’s HD Hydro energy storage system uses a specially formulated, low-viscosity, denser-than-water fluid which enables smaller, flexible and powerful hydro installations to be built on hills rather than in mountains. The Long Duration Energy Storage system offers flexibility and security to high energy users and national energy systems and, along with the speed of its construction, facilitates the transition to low carbon energy generation.
Stephen Crosher, Chief Executive of RheEnergise said, “Everyone on the RheEnergise team, along with our investors, our business partners and the UK Government, who provided valuable support to the project, are delighted that we have reached full power and it is performing exactly as predicted. We have proven and critically de-risked our High-Density Hydro technology which will allow us to focus on deploying the solution in commercial-scale LDES schemes in the UK and worldwide. Reaching full power is undoubtedly a major milestone in our growth ambitions; we have shown that the future of long-life, low-cost energy storage is in the hills of Devon.”
“Our future commercial-scale projects will range from 10MW to 100MW, offering 6 to 20 hours of storage. A 40MW project would serve the whole population of a town of 40,000 homes – so in the UK, towns such as Port Talbot, Hitchin or Bicester.”
The Cornwood project received financial support from the UK Government via the Department of Energy Security & Net Zero’s “Net Zero Innovation Portfolio” programme.
Lord Patrick Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, said: “Storing energy will play an increasingly important role as we transition to clean power. RheEnergise’s first-of-a-kind system has the potential to strengthen our future long duration energy storage capabilities. Scaling up innovations like these is essential as the UK’s energy demand grows and we move to a clean power system that we control.”
RheEnergise’s Cornwood project has a peak power production of 500kW and if run continually is the equivalent of powering 400 homes for one year. It is supporting Sibelco’s mining operations at times of high energy demand and will support the company’s work to decarbonise its operations. Sibelco’s Cornwood mine produces kaolin, mainly for sanitary ware and ceramics.
Ben Uphill, Vice-President for Operations at Sibelco said, “Sibelco is delighted to have a played a part in RheEnergise’s Cornwood project, the world’s first High Density energy storage system. This exciting and innovative project wholly aligns with Sibelco’s sustainability goals. Its commercial deployment in the global mining sector and within other industrial applications can support the world’s transition to a zero-carbon economy.”
RheEnergise is aiming to have its first commercial-scale project in operation within the next 3 years, and is currently progressing potential sites in the UK, continental Europe (in particular Italy, Poland and Spain) as well as in North America.
