Xavi Medina

Scotland’s rural and coastal regions generate vast amounts of wind power, often producing more electricity than they can consume. Yet due to limited grid capacity and lack of storage, this clean energy is frequently curtailed, wasting both potential and public money.

To address this, communities are turning to advanced thermal storage systems that make it possible to store surplus electricity and convert it into useful heat or power. One standout solution is RockStore, a high-temperature storage system that uses granite to retain heat at up to 330°C. This stored heat can be used for local heating networks or transformed into dispatchable electricity via a steam turbine.

Complementary technologies such as heat batteries, large-scale electric boilers, and heat pumps allow communities to absorb excess energy when prices are low and release it when demand peaks—helping balance the grid and provide cost-effective, carbon-free heat.

This marks a major shift in energy planning for isolated towns and coastal settlements, enabling them to move beyond fossil fuels and take control of their own clean energy future.

Achieving ‘clean power by 2030’ requires transmitting huge volumes of green
electricity from the East of England into London. However, the grid infrastructure
needed to do it also presents a golden opportunity to decarbonise heating, by storing its waste heat in large-scale heat reservoirs. This circular approach can help solve London’s green heat supply challenge and establish East Anglia as a clean heat exporter.

Located in the industrial heartland of Denmark, GreenLab, is a ground breaking green and circular industrial park that exemplifies the future of integrated energy systems.

Our broken electricity market has British companies paying the world’s highest power prices while cheap renewables go to waste. Green-focused market reforms can reduce costs and incentivise futureproof infrastructure, such as power-to-heat systems and large-scale heat reservoirs.

In the face of rising energy demands and the urgent need to decarbonize, the planning and implementation of regional heat transmission highways represent a pivotal step towards a more sustainable and resilient energy future.

Lying across the Alssund strait in Denmark, the town of Sønderborg serves as a bridge between the Jutland peninsula and the island of Als. Like many Danish towns, Sønderborg exudes understated charm. Cosy cafes and restaurants can be found on nearly every street corner. However, Sønderborg is best known for something far more significant.