A low-cost, long-duration energy storage technology for delivering baseload power has been successfully demonstrated at the MWh scale. The Geomechanical Energy Storage (GES) system developed by Texas-based Quidnet Energy taps excess electricity from the grid to store water beneath the ground under pressure, delivering that energy later to provide reliable power to the grid.

Developing the GES system entails drilling wells and installing surface water storage components at a project site. Pumps, turbines and other mechanical components are then connected to generators and additional power subcomponents, controls and instrumentation. When electricity is needed, the well is opened to let pressurized water pass through a turbine to generate electricity and return to the pond ready for the next cycle.

The functional and accelerated lifetime testing confirmed the capacity of GES to provide grid-scale energy storage and meet the fast-growing demand for reliable power. The results also validated the capabilities of the technology in terms of critical performance benchmarks, including negligible self-discharge and capacity degradation.

Quidnet Energy is partnering with distributed energy resources developer Hunt Energy Network to build 300 MW of GES projects in the state of Texas.