Molten Salt Energy Hub Debuts in Denmark
A groundbreaking green energy storage facility in Denmark is being hailed as a giant, highly efficient "battery."
Danish company Hyme Energy has launched the world's first energy storage project using molten hydroxide salts to store green energy. The project is called Molten Salt Storage (MOSS), and the first storage facility is located in Esbjerg. It was inaugurated by Soren Gade, President of the Danish Parliament, on April 26, as reported by Interesting Engineering.
Solving the Green Energy Storage Conundrum
A major challenge with green energy is how to store the abundant energy produced on sunny or windy days for later use. Hyme Energy's solution: store the excess energy in molten hydroxide salts.
MOSS acts like a gigantic, ultra-efficient battery. The newly opened facility will store energy from renewable sources like wind and solar. During periods of good production, excess electricity is used to heat hydroxide salts, turning them into a molten state. The molten salts are kept at extremely high temperatures, which allows them to store vast amounts of energy.
Future commercial MOSS facilities will be able to store green electricity in molten hydroxide salts heated to 700 degrees Celsius on a gigawatt-hour (GWh) scale, according to Ask Emil Lovschall-Jensen, CEO and co-founder of Hyme Energy.
By storing green electricity in molten hydroxide salts, MOSS creates a reliable, sustainable reserve for times when renewable electricity production is low. When needed, the heat energy stored in the molten salts is released and efficiently converted into steam.
Sustainable, Efficient, and Scalable
Notably, molten hydroxide salts are highly thermostable, enabling them to store vast amounts of energy with minimal losses. This stored energy provides a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuels used in power plants and even heavy industries.
MOSS has the potential to decarbonize energy-intensive industries. Heat consumption accounts for almost 50% of global energy use and contributes to 40% of carbon emissions. MOSS offers a green alternative to traditional heat sources, aligning with Denmark's and the world's carbon reduction goals.
The newly inaugurated facility will undergo rigorous testing to demonstrate its capabilities. Following successful testing, Hyme Energy will work to scale up the technology for the global energy market, aiming for commercialization by 2026.