A California-based battery developer has achieved a key milestone in pursuit of a steady, stable energy supply for data centers and other power-hungry facilities. Noon Energy has announced the successful operation of its first pilot system demonstrating ultra-long-duration energy storage for thousands of hours and the capacity to deliver clean power continuously for more than 100 hours at a time.

The reversible solid oxide fuel cell battery relies on carbon and oxygen, with tanks and power blocks that can fit inside standard shipping containers. The system circulates carbon dioxide from the storage tanks, and when it is charging, the electricity powers the ceramic to split the carbon dioxide into solid carbon, which remains, and oxygen, which is released to the air. To discharge, the system sucks in fresh air, and the fuel cell recombines the new oxygen with the stored carbon, turning it back into carbon dioxide and generating electricity.

With data centers projected to consume up to 12% of total U.S. electricity by 2028, Noon Energy positions its technology as a much-needed complement to short-duration lithium-ion batteries. While lithium-ion systems typically provide two to 10 hours of storage, the Noon battery offers up to 50 times more energy capacity. This approach allows intermittent wind and solar energy to provide consistent 24/7 power.

With a footprint 20 to 200 times smaller than flow batteries and pumped-hydro gravity storage systems, and two to three times smaller than lithium-ion batteries, the technology is well suited for space-constrained locations.