EnergyPathways’ newly announced non-binding cooperation agreement with Siemens Energy positions compressed air energy storage (CAES) as a potential tool for absorbing surplus renewable electricity and delivering multi-day, low-carbon power, a capability conventional battery systems cannot economically provide at scale.
The agreement outlines a global framework for developing CAES integrated with hydrogen-compatible power systems, signaling a move toward hybrid storage designs that could serve both electricity and emerging hydrogen markets. Siemens Energy brings engineering depth and turbine expertise, while EnergyPathways contributes its proprietary geo-storage capabilities, intellectual property and market knowledge. The companies plan to form a joint taskforce to design a modular, scalable CAES system capable of multi-day operation. Unlike short-duration lithium-ion systems, CAES capitalizes on geological formations for air storage and can be paired with low-carbon generation technologies, potentially reducing curtailment from offshore wind—a notable issue as the UK expands capacity in the North Sea and Irish Sea.
The collaboration will initially target EnergyPathways’ planned MESH project in the East Irish Sea and Cumbria, which aims to integrate LDES with flexible low-carbon power generation to support the UK’s clean power and energy security strategy. The focus on a system designed for multi-day storage is aligned with identified gaps across renewables-dominated grids, where the mismatch between short-duration storage and long variability cycles remains a structural bottleneck. If the design proves technically and commercially viable, the companies anticipate potential deployment in multiple geographies where surplus wind or green power remains underutilized.
EnergyPathways’ CEO Ben Clube frames multi-day LDES as “the missing piece of the puzzle” for stabilizing renewables-heavy grids. While the partnership underscores growing momentum in LDES development, the agreement remains non-binding, with formal contracts to follow subject to feasibility outcomes. The challenge will be developing a system that is cost-competitive against emerging alternatives, including thermal storage, advanced flow batteries, and hydrogen-based storage, while demonstrating efficiency gains that justify the infrastructure investments required for CAES. The modularity ambition suggests an effort to address historically high project-specific costs that have limited past CAES adoption.
By combining Siemens Energy’s engineering capabilities with EnergyPathways’ geological storage expertise, the initiative aims to move CAES from niche application toward a potentially broader role in balancing renewable-heavy grids.
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