NTPC Ltd, India’s largest integrated power utility, has reached a significant milestone by launching CO2 battery energy storage technology as part of its commitment to sustainable energy solutions. This groundbreaking project, developed by NETRA—the Research and Development wing of NTPC—will be executed in collaboration with Triveni Turbine Limited and Energy Dome from Italy. A CO2 battery with an energy capacity of 160 MWHr is set to be established at NTPC Kudgi, further supporting NTPC’s strategy to diversify its energy portfolio and enhance renewable power generation. The initiative aligns with the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ campaigns.
The innovative CO2 battery operates on a specialized electro-mechanical turbomachinery system, utilizing the ‘Closed Brayton Thermodynamic Cycle’ with anhydrous CO2 as the working fluid. Unlike traditional Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) that rely on electrochemistry, the CO2 battery manipulates physical parameters of CO2 to store and release energy. NTPC’s Chairman and Managing Director, Gurdeep Singh, emphasized that this development marks a landmark advancement in Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES), offering advantages such as a lifespan exceeding 25 years, independence from critical minerals like lithium and cobalt, and minimal performance degradation. Claudio Spadacini, Founder & CEO of Energy Dome, noted that the CO2 battery will enhance NTPC’s decarbonization efforts while strengthening India’s local supply chain.