Government launches energy storage competitions

DECC has launched two competitions worth a total of £20 million to develop innovative energy storage solutions that can help the UK electricity network address its grid-scale storage and balancing needs.

The £17 miliion small business research initiative (SBRI) competition aims to develop and demonstrate innovative, pre-commercial energy storage technologies.

The competition will run in two phases, with contracts for the first phase, covering system and project design studies, expected to be awarded in February 2013. Phase I design studies that offer the best value for money and best fit with the competition’s aims will be invited to participate in phase II, the development and demonstration phase.

DECC says delivery and monitoring of the phase II demonstration projects is expected to take place over the period from June 2013 to end March 2015.

The energy department has also established a programme worth up to £3 million for research, development and feasibility studies of grid-scale energy storage systems and their components. Each grant, which will range from £200,000 to £1 million, will be awarded on a competitive basis. Successful applicants will be required to secure significant private sector funding towards the total project costs.

The deadline for SBRI applications is 13 December 2012, while there are two deadlines for the research, development and feasibility studies competition: 6 December 2012 and 27 March 2013.

DECC is staging a pre-submission briefing and networking event for both competitions in London on 6 November 2012.