How is energy stored in Australia?

Currently storage of electrical energy in Australia consists of a small number of pumped hydroelectric facilities and grid-scale batteries, and a diversity of battery storage systems at small scale, used mainly for backup. To balance energy use across the Australian economy, heat and fuel (chemical energy) storage are also required.

Is energy storage the next big change in Australia's electricity systems?

Energy storage is seen by many as the next big change required in Australia’s electricity systems. Storage can solve challenges that range from smoothing the intermittency of renewable generation to providing power quality support, and managing peak demand for consumers. For further details, refer to Appendix 1 of the full report.

What is the difference between a capacitor and a battery?

Conventional capacitors have very high power, but very low energy while batteries have very high energy, but low power. Supercapacitors are energy storage devices with both high power and high energy.

What are Australia's energy storage options?

The then most cost-effective storage options anticipated in 2030 were pumped hydro energy storage (PHES), lithium-ion batteries and zinc bromine batteries. Australia’s abundance of raw materials for batteries and our high level of relevant R&D make energy storage a significant opportunity for industry growth and job creation.

How does a supercapacitor store energy electrostatically?

A supercapacitor stores energy electrostatically by polarising an electrolyte solution. A supercapacitor can be viewed as two non-reactive porous plates suspended within an electrolyte, with a voltage applied across the plates.

How can renewable storage technology transform Australia?

Renewable storage technologies have the potential to revolutionise clean and reliable energy access in remote communities, support cost-effective decarbonisation in industry and transform Australia into a green hydrogen export superpower.