Dutch Start-up Ocean Battery Receives Support From European Union

Pumped hydro-like storage systems are under development to store energy at sea from offshore wind turbines.

Apparently, the most advanced concept is the Dutch start-up Ocean Grazer’s ‘Ocean battery’, with the first commercial demonstrators currently under development.

The technology is described as a “pumped hydro system in a box”. To store energy, e.g. when there is excess, the system pumps water from rigid reservoirs into flexible bladders on the seabed, which store the water under high pressure.

When there is demand for power, the water flows back from the bladders to the low-pressure rigid reservoirs, driving multiple hydro turbines to generate electricity.

Ocean Grazer, a spin-off from the University of Groningen where the concept was conceived, state their technology is based on proven technologies and is almost maintenance-free.

Moreover, it is modular and scalable up to gigawatt-hour scale and has an ROI estimated from 8-10 years.

The Ocean Battery has received support from the European Union among other parties and also has attracted an unnamed angel investor to advance development.

The team is targeting a 10% market share in Europe by 2030 and in time 10-15% of the market.