By ESS news
Silbat is a Spanish startup developing a long-term energy storage (LDES) technology based on silicon. The company’s battery technology stores electricity as latent heat in molten silicon, using low-cost, widely available metal-grade silicon. Silicon has the second highest latent heat of fusion of all elements, after the much rarer boron. In Silbat’s design, metallic silicon is held in a refractory container within a thermally insulated crucible. Electricity is converted into thermal energy via resistive (joule) heating, and when the temperature reaches 1,410 °C, the silicon begins to melt. The battery is fully charged once the silicon is completely melted.
Silbat recently announced the launch of the Research and Analysis of Long-Term Energy Storage for Operational Resilience in Critical Military Infrastructure (ARMIC) project. The initiative aims to support a resilient and self-sufficient energy supply for critical military installations, addressing strategic vulnerabilities related to dependence on civilian electricity grids. The project will last three years.
“The aim of the ARMIC project is to ensure a reliable electricity supply for at least fourteen consecutive days, in accordance with military resilience standards,” a company spokesperson said. pv magazine. “It also offers cost savings while meeting heating and cooling needs through integrated heat storage and cogeneration capabilities. Our goal is to achieve competitive energy storage costs and promote national technological sovereignty, applicable in both military and civilian contexts.” The project focuses on TRL 7–8 for battery technology, which represents the phase immediately preceding full commercialization and operational deployment (TRL 9).
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