NTPC partners with Energy Dome of Italy for CO2 battery energy storage project

NTPC Ltd. has announced plans to establish a CO2 battery energy storage project in collaboration with Triveni Turbine Ltd. and Energy Dome, Italy. NETRA, NTPC’s R&D wing, will manage the project.

The 160 MWHr CO2 battery will be installed at NTPC’s Kudgi station in Karnataka. This initiative is part of NTPC’s strategy to diversify its energy portfolio and increase renewable power generation. It also aligns with the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives.

The CO2 battery differs from traditional BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) by using electro-mechanical turbomachinery instead of electrochemistry. It operates on a closed Brayton thermodynamic cycle with anhydrous CO2 as the working fluid, manipulating its physical state from vapour to liquid for charging and discharging.

Gurdeep Singh, NTPC’s Chairman and managing Director, highlighted the technology’s advantages, such as its lifetime of over 25 years, no reliance on critical minerals like lithium or cobalt, and topography-agnostic functionality. Unlike BESS, the technology also offers minimal performance degradation and a 100% depth of discharge.

Claudio Spadacini, Founder & CEO of Energy Dome, emphasized that the CO2 battery will contribute to NTPC’s decarbonization goals and enhance India’s local supply chain through domestic sourcing.