Google Backs Long-Duration Storage to Scale Up Clean Energy
As the world races to decarbonise, the ability to store and dispatch clean electricity at any time is critical.
Electricity powers virtually every aspect of modern life, and with the expansion of intermittent renewables like solar and wind, balancing supply and demand has never been more important.
From advanced geothermal and nuclear to emerging fusion technologies, clean energy innovation is advancing rapidly.
Now, a new partnership is set to fast-track another crucial piece of the clean energy puzzle: long-duration energy storage (LDES).
Google and Energy Dome partner to scale LDES
Google has announced a long-term partnership with Energy Dome, a company pioneering a novel LDES solution known as the CO₂ Battery.
This breakthrough technology is designed to store excess renewable energy and release it when it's most needed, helping close the gap between generation and consumption.
With the ability to dispatch clean power for 8 to 24 hours, Energy Dome's system could play a vital role in achieving round-the-clock carbon-free energy.
Backed by a strategic investment from Google, the partnership aims to accelerate the deployment of Energy Dome’s commercial-scale CO₂ Battery projects worldwide, supporting the tech giant's goal of running its operations entirely on clean energy, every hour of every day, before 2030.
“This partnership marks a major step in solving one of the hardest challenges in the energy transition: how to keep the lights on when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing,” says Adam Elman, Sustainability Director at Google.
“By supporting multiple commercial projects globally, we’re accelerating the path to reliable, around-the-clock clean power for our operations and for the grids we all rely on.”
Why long-duration storage matters
Until now, lithium-ion batteries have dominated the energy storage landscape.
These systems are well-suited for short-term use, typically storing power for up to four hours, and have already helped stabilise electricity grids in places like Belgium and Nevada.
However, they fall short when it comes to supporting overnight demand or long stretches of low renewable output.
This is where LDES can deliver game-changing benefits.
According to the Electric Power Research Institute, LDES technologies could significantly enhance grid flexibility and reliability, while the LDES Council estimates that up to eight terawatts of LDES capacity deployed by 2040 could save up to US$540bn annually worldwide by reducing inefficiencies and cutting reliance on fossil fuels.
Inside the CO₂ Battery
At the heart of Energy Dome’s innovation is a unique use of carbon dioxide.
When there's surplus renewable energy on the grid, the CO₂ Battery compresses CO₂ gas into a liquid.
Later, when clean power is needed, the system allows the liquid CO₂ to expand back into gas, driving a turbine to generate electricity.
This thermodynamic process offers a carbon-free way to store energy over extended periods.
This technology has already proven its commercial viability.
Energy Dome has operated a demonstration facility in Italy for over three years and has secured contracts for larger deployments in Italy, the US and India, including a 20MW/200MWh plant now under construction.
Speed, scale and system impact
Unlike some advanced clean technologies that may take years to mature, Energy Dome’s CO₂ Battery is already nearing large-scale commercial rollout.
Its rapid scalability makes it a key near-term solution for grid operators facing increasing pressure to accommodate renewables without compromising reliability.
For Google, the collaboration is about more than just decarbonising its own infrastructure. It’s a catalyst for industry-wide transformation.
In addition to the Energy Dome partnership, Google is committed to supporting a broader ecosystem of LDES innovators, helping to unlock early-stage technologies through investment and policy advocacy.
Creating the conditions for success
To bring LDES to the mainstream, systemic changes are needed.
Google is actively pushing for energy market reforms that value firm and flexible clean energy and is backing policies that accelerate infrastructure development and grid decarbonisation.
The goal is ambitious but achievable: a resilient, flexible global energy system that runs on clean electricity, all day, every day.
This partnership with Energy Dome marks a milestone in the journey toward 24/7 carbon-free electricity.
By scaling long-duration storage, Google is laying the groundwork for an energy system that can power communities, economies and innovation without compromising the planet.
