Manchester at the Forefront of Long-Duration Energy Storage Innovation

Manchester is playing a leading role in reshaping the future of long-duration energy storage, supporting the UK’s transition to a net zero energy system.

The University of Manchester has launched a £3 million research programme to develop GPStore—a novel energy storage technology designed to store clean energy for extended periods, from hours to months. Funded through the EPSRC Critical Mass Programme Grant, the initiative addresses one of the most critical challenges facing a renewables-led energy system: how to store surplus electricity efficiently and at scale.

The project brings together experts from the University of Manchester, the University of Birmingham, the University of Liverpool, Cranfield University, and Imperial College London, alongside a wide range of industrial partners. In total, 13 academic researchers and 16 organisations—including EDF Energy, UK Power Networks, Fraser-Nash Consultancy, and Manchester City Council—are collaborating on the programme.

As renewable generation continues to grow, managing excess electricity produced during periods of high wind or sunshine is becoming increasingly complex. Current technologies such as pumped hydro, compressed air, and flow batteries are unlikely to meet future demand alone. By 2050, the UK is expected to require up to 100 terawatt-hours of long-duration energy storage—far beyond today’s installed capacity.

GPStore offers a promising alternative. The technology converts surplus renewable electricity into high-temperature heat, stores it in solid particles within insulated above-ground tanks, and then converts it back into electricity when needed. This approach could enable energy to be stored not just daily, but seasonally—helping to balance supply and demand across the year.

Innovations like GPStore have the potential to play a vital role in delivering a resilient, low-carbon energy system and accelerating the UK’s path to net zero.