EnerHy’s Professor Sonya Calnan (Energy Engineering, Loughborough University) took part in a Westminster roundtable earlier this month on the pivotal role of energy storage, held at Portcullis House during Energy Security & Green Infrastructure Week™ in Parliament and delivered with the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA).
The session – “Storing Power, Securing Supply: Medium and Long Duration Storage” – was supported by Mike Reader MP and Wera Hobhouse MP and chaired by Dr Emma Guthrie (Hydrogen Energy Association), brought together parliamentarians, industry and academia to examine how storage underpins grid resilience, affordability and decarbonisation.
Professor Calnan said: “It was a privilege to join colleagues in Parliament to discuss the pivotal role of energy storage. A diverse mix of medium‑ and long‑duration solutions – integrated with hydrogen where it makes sense – will be essential to keep the lights on affordably while accelerating the UK’s path to net zero.”
Highlights from the Westminster discussion:
Storage at scale is indispensable. Participants reiterated that medium and long duration storage will be vital alongside short duration solutions to balance a renewables heavy system year-round.
No single technology will do it all. A diverse mix – from batteries to hydrogen and other long duration options – will be needed to deliver flexibility, resilience and affordability.
Policy and market signals must catch up. ERA noted persistent barriers to deployment (including revenue certainty and market design), with follow-on policy briefs due to capture recommendations.
Real-world demonstrators accelerate progress. As voiced by participants, targeted demonstration projects build investor confidence and unlock faster scaleup.
The discussion echoed the week’s central message: the UK must rapidly scale a diverse portfolio of storage to balance a renewables‑led grid and reduce system costs. ERA will distil recommendations into forthcoming policy briefs.