The UK electricity system faces challenges of unprecedented proportions. It is expected that 35 to 40% of the UK electricity demand will be met by renewable generation by 2020, an order of magnitude increase from the present levels. In the context of the targets proposed by the UK Climate Change Committee it is expected that the electricity sector would be almost entirely decarbonised by 2030 with significantly increased levels of electricity production and demand driven by the incorporation of heat and transport sectors into the electricity system. The key concerns are associated with system integration costs driven by radical changes on both the supply and the demand side of the UK low-carbon system. Our analysis to date suggests that a low-carbon electricity future would lead to a massive reduction in the utilisation of conventional electricity generation, transmission and distribution assets. The large-scale deployment of energy storage could mitigate this reduction in utilisation, producing significant savings. In this context, the proposed research aims at (i) developing novel approaches for evaluating the economic and environmental benefits of a range of energy storage technologies that could enhance efficiency of system operation and increase asset utilization; and (ii) innovation around 4 storage technologies; Na-ion, redox flow batteries (RFB), supercapacitors, and thermal energy storage (TES). These have been selected because of their relevance to grid-scale storage applications, their potential for transformative research, our strong and world-leading research track record on these topics and UK opportunities for exploitation of the innovations arising.

At the heart of our proposal is a whole systems approach, recognising the need for electrical network experts to work with experts in control, converters and storage, to develop optimum solutions and options for a range of future energy scenarios. This is essential if we are to properly take into account constraints imposed by the network on the storage technologies, and in return limitations imposed by the storage technologies on the network. Our work places emphasis on future energy scenarios relevant to the UK, but the tools, methods and technologies we develop will have wide application.

Our work will provide strategic insights and direction to a wide range of stakeholders regarding the development and integration of energy storage technologies in future low carbon electricity grids, and is inspired by both (i) limitations in current grid regulation, market operation, grid investment and control practices that prevent the role of energy storage being understood and its economic and environmental value quantified, and (ii) existing barriers to the development and deployment of cost effective energy storage solutions for grid application.

Key outputs from this programme will be; a roadmap for the development of grid scale storage suited to application in the UK; an analysis of policy options that would appropriately support the deployment of storage in the UK; a blueprint for the control of storage in UK distribution networks; patents and high impact papers relating to breakthrough innovations in energy storage technologies; new tools and techniques to analyse the integration of storage into low carbon electrical networks; and a cohort of researchers and PhD students with the correct skills and experience needed to support the future research, development and deployment in this area.

Potential Impact:
The UK electricity system is facing challenges of unprecedented proportions. Our analysis to date suggests that a low carbon electricity future would lead to a massive reduction in the utilisation of the conventional electricity generation, transmission and distribution assets if the present network operation and design philosophy is maintained. Very significant reinforcements of the UK distribution and transmission networks may be required to accommodate the integration of low carbon generation, heat and transport sectors, together with a significant amount of backup conventional generation needed to support intermittent generation. This challenge could be turned into a significant opportunity for the UK research community and commercial sector to gain early experience, and to lead system integration of advanced future grid size energy storage technologies, as the application of storage technologies is of considerable relevance to the UK given its weak interconnections with other systems, and the need to balance demand and supply largely within the GB Island. Our recent work for the Carbon Trust suggested that cost- and technically-effective electricity storage, efficiently deployed, could lead to a saving of around £15 billion in 2030. Resolving grid integration challenges through multidisciplinary cutting edge research will take a major step forward towards achieving those savings and positioning the UK at the forefront of global research initiatives on future electricity networks supported by energy storage.
We will make technical advances in four technologies - Supercapacitors which offer high power for short times, redox flow batteries and thermal energy storage which have large capacity and long timescales and Na-ion batteries with intermediate characteristics. UK-based companies are well-placed to take a lead in developing these technologies. We will work with a range of manufacturers, from multinationals to SMEs, to create new materials for key components, improve the devices' capabilities and ensure that they can be manufactured economically.
The devices also have to be operated within the complex environment of the electricity system. We will develop the control theories and power electronics to ensure that storage can contribute to the security of the electricity network. This will be of benefit to electricity companies - who can make significant savings on other investments if storage is an effective substitute - and also to manufacturers in learning how their products will be used.
We will take information on how storage technologies can be used to show how they should be used - what is the optimal deployment for a range of storage devices across the UK under different future development scenarios? This information will be of value to the whole industry, and also to policy-makers, who need to know how storage fits in to the evolving vision of a low-carbon energy system. We will also study how storage investors and operators respond to the economic incentives that they face, and how to design market rules and government policies that support efficient investment and operating decisions.
We will produce A Road Map for Grid-Scale Storage in low-Carbon Pathways for the UK to 2050, to inform manufacturers, electricity companies and policy-makers of the technological developments, deployment and operating strategies, and policy measures required if storage is to make a full contribution to the low-carbon energy system.
We will produce a large body of trained researchers, including 14 PhD students funded by our own universities, who will be used to working in interdisciplinary teams and with a high level of knowledge of storage technologies, who can move into future posts in industry, government or academia. We will engage with the public, spreading understanding of the contribution that storage technologies can make to a low-carbon future.