UK Launches £28 Million Challenge to Store Clean Energy for Days at a Time
The UK government has launched a £28 million funding challenge to develop technology capable of storing clean electricity for more than 100 hours, enough to power homes and businesses for at least four days.
The Ultra-Long Duration Energy Storage (Ultra-LDES) Challenge, backed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), opened for bids on 20 August. It is the final strand of a wider £102 million Clean Energy Challenge programme, and comes shortly after another record-breaking UK heatwave.
Why storage matters
Wind and solar are currently the cheapest ways to generate electricity in the UK, but neither is available on demand. When wind or sunlight is limited, the grid falls back on other sources, including gas-fired generation, to keep supply steady. Storage capable of holding power for days rather than hours would let the grid draw on stockpiled renewable electricity instead, reducing reliance on gas and helping to shield consumers from price spikes tied to volatile international gas markets.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said homegrown clean energy was "our route to more affordable bills and energy security," adding that the funding would help "store more clean power, reduce reliance on expensive gas generation and deliver a more secure energy system."
Two technologies in focus
The challenge will fund work in two areas. The first is long-duration battery technology capable of discharging power continuously for over 100 hours, an approach not yet commercialised at scale, giving UK developers an opportunity to establish an early position in a still-emerging global market.
The second is underground hydrogen storage, storing hydrogen in underground caverns and releasing it to generate electricity when needed. Government analysis suggests this approach alone could reduce total UK energy system costs by between £14 billion and £50 billion between 2035 and 2050.
Jenny Hill, director of UKRI's clean energy challenge, said the funding was intended to "propel the UK to the forefront of the global energy storage market, creating skilled jobs and attracting private investment."