Sustaining the power grid: Breakthroughs and challenges in long-duration energy storage

The rapid shift towards renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind power, is both a triumph and a challenge for modern energy grids. While these resources promise a cleaner future, their inherent intermittency threatens grid stability, leaving power systems vulnerable to fluctuations and supply shortfalls. Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) emerges as the game-changer—an indispensable solution that captures surplus energy when the sun shines and the wind blows, then delivers it precisely when demand peaks or generation falters. This review delves into the cutting-edge advancements, persistent challenges, and future prospects of LDES technologies in fortifying grid resilience. It explores a spectrum of storage solutions—chemical, mechanical, thermal, and electrochemical—analyzing their potential to replace fossil-fuel-based peaking plants, enable deep renewable integration, and revolutionize energy security. Despite its transformative promise, LDES adoption remains constrained by high capital costs, efficiency trade-offs, and policy uncertainties. Infrastructure bottlenecks, market hesitancies, and environmental considerations further complicate large-scale deployment. This paper critically evaluates these barriers while spotlighting groundbreaking innovations, including next-generation nanomaterials, AI-driven optimization, hybrid storage frameworks, and pioneering hydrogen and ammonia-based energy solutions. Global pilot projects are already proving LDES’s viability, showcasing real-world applications that reinforce a cleaner, more resilient, and decentralized energy system. To accelerate progress, bold policy frameworks, strategic financial incentives, and relentless research into cost-effective storage pathways are paramount. As technology matures and regulations evolve, LDES is poised to become the backbone of a future-proof, low-carbon, and highly adaptive power grid.