Energy Dome and its carbon dioxide batteries

Energy Dome is addressing the critical need for long-duration energy storage to support intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar. The company utilizes a proprietary technology that compresses carbon dioxide into a liquid state for storage, releasing it through a turbine to generate electricity when grid demand peaks. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, which become cost-prohibitive for long-duration applications, Energy Dome’s system uses standard industrial components, making it potentially more scalable and 10% to 15% cheaper for eight-hour storage cycles. While the company successfully launched its first commercial plant in Sardinia in 2025 with a 200 megawatt-hour capacity, it faces challenges regarding roundtrip efficiency and the need to scale rapidly to meet its 30 gigawatt-hour project pipeline. Additionally, some configurations involving natural gas turbines raise concerns regarding greenhouse gas emissions, despite the system's overall potential to stabilize global power grids.