New Long Duration Energy Storage Kisses Fossil Fuels Goodbye

The article highlights the promising advancements in long-duration energy storage as a critical component of the renewable energy transition in the United States. Despite shifts in federal energy policy, investors remain committed to next-generation solutions to address climate challenges, exemplified by the US startup Fourth Power securing $20 million to commercialize its innovative thermal energy storage system. Current dominant long-duration storage technologies, such as pumped hydro and compressed air, face geographic and resource limitations, while utility-scale lithium-ion batteries, though flexible, lack the capacity for extended energy discharge beyond several hours. Fourth Power’s approach leverages a novel thermal storage method using melted tin as a heat transfer medium to store electricity-sourced heat in carbon blocks, which can then be converted back into electricity. This system operates at very high temperatures (up to 2400°C) and promises to be up to ten times cheaper than conventional lithium-ion batteries due to the use of abundant, low-cost materials and a proprietary high-temperature liquid metal heat transfer technique. With recent Series A