OblinEngine is a patent-protected mechanical long-duration energy storage technology designed to store renewable energy using compressed air, water and established hydroelectric generation equipment.
OblinEngine stores energy by compressing air for later use. When electricity is required, compressed air is released at depth into a water-filled uplift shaft. Fine air bubbles reduce the average density of the water-air mixture within the shaft, creating hydraulic uplift.
The resulting water flow and hydraulic head can then be used to drive conventional hydroelectric turbine-generator equipment before the water returns through the closed-loop system.
Designed for multi-hour and potentially multi-day energy storage applications.
Energy conversion is mechanical rather than electrochemical.
Water is continuously recirculated through the system.
Designed for repeated cycling without electrochemical cycle degradation.
Civil and mechanical infrastructure is being developed around long-life design principles.
Architecture intended to support future grid-scale applications.
OblinEngine has progressed through modelling, prototype construction, shallow hydraulic testing and deep-shaft testing. Results generated to date form the technical basis for the next stage of development.
The technology is currently at Technology Readiness Level 5, with the next project stage focused on integrated demonstration and independent verification toward TRL 6.
The next development stage is a full-depth OblinEngine demonstrator planned in New South Wales, Australia. The project is intended to validate integrated system performance at substantially greater depth and support independent TRL 6 verification.
The proposed demonstration program is being designed to investigate hydraulic head, water flow, air injection requirements, turbine-generator performance, electrical output, system efficiency, continuous operating behaviour, instrumentation, control and engineering scalability.
OblinEngine is protected by UK Green Patent GB2601502, granted in March 2023. The intellectual property covers the underlying energy storage and hydraulic uplift approach used by the OblinEngine system.
Successful demonstration would provide the engineering evidence required to refine commercial system design, validate key performance assumptions and assess deployment opportunities in Australia and international markets.
Final system efficiency, capital cost, operating life and commercial performance remain subject to further demonstration, independent verification and engineering development.
Learn how the technology works, review the development evidence and follow the path toward the Australian demonstrator.