MIT reveal concrete idea for electricity storage

• 6 months ago (2024-06-12)
• David Flin

North America 1026 Renewables 780 Storage 45

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Researchers at MIT in Massachusetts, USA, have developed what they claim is a means of storing electricity inside modified concrete.

Damian Stefaniuk, researcher at MIT, combined water, cement, and carbon black (used in the manufacture of car tyres) to create a supercapacitor. Supercapacitors aren’t as effective at long-term storage as lithium-ion batteries, but they can be charged and discharged very quickly, making them useful for short-term energy storage.

Stefaniuk said that the material could increase the effectiveness of the electricity by providing ways of storing renewable energy, the generation of which can fluctuate over the course of the day. He claimed that, once scaled up, the material could “meet the daily energy needs of a residential house.” A 1590 cubic foot version is being planned to demonstrate this.