California-based Noon Energy has reported the successful operation of its first pilot system showcasing ultra-long-duration energy storage with more than 100 hours of capacity.
The installation features a reversible solid oxide fuel cell battery and is described as the first fully containerised, modular ultra‑LDES system to run for thousands of hours, ultimately achieving over 200 hours of storage capability.
The company’s technology is designed to support multi‑day through to seasonal storage. Each modular container delivers 100KW of power and more than 100 hours of continuous output. Its high energy density allows the system to occupy far less space than other long‑duration technologies. Noon Energy states that its footprint is between 20 and 200 times smaller than flow batteries and pumped‑hydro gravity systems, and two to three times smaller than lithium‑ion installations.
The system architecture includes a power block using reversible solid oxide fuel cell technology to convert electricity into chemical energy and back again. A charge tank stores energy in carbon‑based media, while a discharge tank holds the converted media produced during operation for the next cycle.
Cost efficiency is a central part of the design. By enabling independent scaling of power and energy capacity and keeping storage costs low, the overall cost profile remains almost unchanged as duration increases. The company says this makes multi‑day storage commercially practical.
Noon Energy highlights the use of inexpensive tanks and abundant materials, along with a domestic supply chain requiring around 1% of the critical elements used in lithium‑ion batteries. The firm positions its system as a strong partner to lithium‑ion technology, particularly for data centres facing rising demand.
“We are excited to have commissioned our multi-module demonstration system and demonstrated its lifetime, thanks to the excellent work of our incredible engineering team,” said CEO Chris Graves. “This is a key milestone in scaling up our breakthrough technology,” he added.
Image: 1- Power block, 2-Charge tank, 3-Discharge tank. Credit: Noon Energy
