Renewable energy storage will be critical to Australia’s net zero transition but will require major investment, according to the newest roadmap released today by the CSIRO.
According to the Renewable Energy Storage Roadmap, storage capacity will need to increase dramatically over the next few decades to keep up with fast-rising electricity demand, which is expected to rise as the building and transport industries electrify.
The report indicates that the national electricity market (NEM) may require a 10 to 14-fold increase in electricity storage capacity between 2025 and 2050.
It also discovered that while traditional storage technologies (such as batteries and pumped hydro) will continue to play an important role, all kinds of energy storage must be examined to meet Australia’s expanding demand in various industries.
In response to shared concerns such as decarbonisation and technological readiness, the roadmap investigates the role of storage for seven sectors, highlighting specific challenges and technological possibilities and discovering that different sectors prefer different storage technologies.
CSIRO Chief Executive Larry Marshall stated that new technologies would be required to boost renewables penetration and grid stability while Australia begins to create utility-scale storage capacity.
“Over the long-term storage will accelerate the integration of renewables, enhancing grid stability and reliability, and supporting decarbonisation of industries,” Dr Marshall said.
According to Dr Marshall, there is no silver bullet for attaining net zero; therefore, Australia needs a variety of approaches, including renewables, batteries, hydrogen, thermal storage, pumped hydro, sustainable aviation fuels, and a slew of new science-driven solutions.
“Reaching net zero is a wicked challenge, we need a robust pipeline of projects that use diverse technologies supported by industry, government, research and community stakeholders to ensure that no industry and no Australian is left behind,” he added.
CSIRO Energy Director Dietmar Tourbier stated that the roadmap is a significant step towards identifying fit-for-purpose energy storage options.
“Government and industry have recognised energy storage as a priority. However, significant knowledge gaps remain, requiring further investigation to support informed action,” Dr Tourbier said.
Dr Tourbier added that co-investment is necessary across the system to speed technology commercialisation and scale up across a diversified array of energy storage technologies.
The roadmap builds on previous papers and scenarios to predict storage needs across numerous use cases and territories in Australia. It also broadens the conversation to new technology areas (for example, hydrogen and thermal energy storage), highlighting sector-specific requirements, technical descriptions, and scale-up recommendations.
The report’s authors gathered together government and business stakeholders, as well as CSIRO modelling and analysis, to inform the role of energy storage.
According to the CSIRO, the report is a valuable synthesis of the issues associated with energy storage, and it is being provided in advance of the launch of the Renewable Energy Powerhouse Mission and the Revolutionary Energy Storage Systems Future Science Platform.
“GHD has long recognised the pivotal role that energy storage will play in accelerating the energy transition and the scale of investment required to meet Australia’s net zero ambition, so is pleased to support the CSIRO’s roadmap,” Australian Future Energy Leader GHD Malcolm Rushin said.
Rushin stated that the roadmap also details certain developing technologies with the potential for lower-cost deeper storage, which is the missing piece in the puzzle of reliable power supply.
“The roadmap indicates that there is no one dominant energy storage technology and that an integrated mix of storage technologies will be required across and within different sectors of the Australian economy. The roadmap identifies renewable based Thermal Energy Storage (TES) as a relatively low cost solution with multiple end-use applications, including utility scale power generation, renewable fuel production, and industrial process heat,” Australian Solar Thermal Research Institute Director Dominic Zaal said.
BHP Head of Sustainability Innovation Ingrid Oyarzun commented, “We recognise our role in collaborating with researchers and governments to achieve progress in managing the challenges of climate change.”
