Energy storage provides a vital form of energy system flexibility and accommodates a renewable energy landscape; numerous independent studies indicate the many billions of pounds worth of system costs that could be saved by widespread rollout of such technologies.

There is a wide variety of energy storage technologies operational in the UK and abroad, at varying levels of development and deployment.

The energy storage technologies currently in operation include, but are not limited to, pumped hydro, lithium-ion, lithium titanate, lead acid and other forms of electrochemical batteries, liquid air and vanadium flow batteries. Energy storage can also be in the form of thermal and chemical storage, such as hydrogen, phase change materials and power to gas.

The full range and specifications of energy storage technologies are set out in the REA’s ‘Energy Storage Market Overview’ report, available in the REA Publications and Reports section.

For more detailed information and to find out more about this technology please see the REA’s Publications page and Energy Storage Members Forum pages.