Abu Dhabi-based Masdar City, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, and Sweden’s long-duration energy storage company Azelio have jointly launched an innovative Research and Development (R&D) project that will demonstrate 24/7 affordable clean energy utilization at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi.
Under the three-party research and development agreement, the Azelio storage system will now officially start operation with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and provide renewable and cost-efficient electricity. The system will undergo extensive testing and performance on the Masdar Institute Solar Platform (MISP) in a desert environment that provides suitable solar conditions to produce the entire daily wheels of clean energy in conjunction with solar PV.
Dr. Nicolas Calvet, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, and Founder & Chair of the MISP at Khalifa University, stated that “The Khalifa University’s Masdar Institute Solar Platform provides a convergence of renewable energy research, development, and demonstration, and serves as a foundation for the UAE’s ambition to achieve world-leading innovation in clean and renewable energy. The Azelio demonstration project is our flagship project and a success story for the MISP.”
The Abu Dhabi-based public research center, Khalifa University’s researchers will continuously operate Azelio’s electrical, thermal energy storage system over the next 12 months, by collecting and analyzing the data while independently validating the system. At the end of the year, Khalifa University will report the system’s performance in the desert environment.
Storage units of the system will be displayed and evaluated on several criteria, including supplying renewable electricity round-the-clock to a system for atmospheric water production that captures moisture and condenses it into usable water.
The capabilities of Azelio’s technology represent an important part of the renewable transition by making sustainable energy from, for example, cost-effective solar PV available at all hours of the day.
Mr. Abdulla Balalaa, Executive Director, Masdar City, remarked that “Masdar City is committed to facilitating R&D projects that bring ground-breaking new technologies to the market and positively contribute to regional and global energy security. Azelio’s TES.POD system is another excellent example of what collaboration and innovation can achieve. Developing technologies that both protect and guarantee a constant, secure, and affordable source of electricity is fundamental and this project is set to bring us closer to that goal.”
Azelio’s energy storage TES.POD stores energy as heat in a metal alloy made from recycled aluminum and silicon. The heat from the storage is transferred to a Stirling engine that enables a supply of electricity and usable heat on demand at all hours of the day, without emissions and at an affordable price. The system is scalable and competitive from 0.1 to 100 MWe.
Mr. Jonas Eklind, CEO and President of Azelio, stated that “The strong position and deep knowledge in renewable energy of Masdar and Khalifa University make the MISP platform a perfect place to showcase and test our technology. We look forward to demonstrating our TES.POD together with other ground-breaking solutions and taking further steps towards a global establishment of the solution.”
Swedish Stirling manufacturer, Azelio’s TES.POD is a long-duration energy storage system that produces around-the-clock clean power like electricity and heat with zero emissions. Making renewable energy a reliable baseload, Azelio aims to make clean power production more affordable and reliable, with the potential to improve the lives of millions.
