Google invests in long-life batteries made in Italy

The journey of an Italian technology that is carving out an increasingly prominent role for itself in long-term energy storage and global energy transition starts from Ottana, in the heart of Sardinia. The first commercial plant of the Energy Dome company, founded by Claudio Spadacini, which in recent weeks has also signed a strategic agreement with Google, is now operational. The hi-tech giant, which has also invested directly in the company, has in fact bet on the CO₂ Battery, which uses carbon dioxide as a working fluid to ensure clean, safe and always-available energy, overcoming the intermittency limits of solar and wind power.

The Ottana plant, built by reclaiming a former industrial area, has a capacity of 20MW, a capacity of 200MWh, and is potentially able to supply about 73GWh to the grid in a year. "The construction has involved local companies and labour, generating millions of Euros in induced activities and revitalising a disused area," notes CEO Spadacini. From the energy point of view, the CO₂ Battery can power up to 16 thousand households, lowering grid costs and guaranteeing stabilisation services. Managed in partnership with Engie through an offtake contract, the Battery operates with charge and discharge cycles that reflect the needs of the grid, demonstrating its flexibility in both industrial and residential settings.

'In parallel,' explains Spadacini, 'Energy Dome is working on the development of a national pipeline of about 2 GWh, concentrated mainly between central and southern Italy. The aim is to seize the opportunities offered by the new electricity storage capacity (Macse) and contribute to the stabilisation of the electricity grid in areas with a high penetration of renewables. The experience already gained with partners such as Engie, together with the projects started in Sardinia, represents a solid basis for further scaling up in the country'.

The CO₂ Battery differs from classical lithium batteries because it does not use critical or rare materials, but common components such as steel, water and carbon dioxide. The system works in a closed cycle, with no emissions and no risk of fire, offering a life span of more than 30 years. Moreover, thanks to its modularity and geography agnostic (no reservoirs or elevation differences needed), it can be installed anywhere.

"The agreement between Google and Energy Dome envisages the development of a pipeline of projects that are already at an advanced stage of identification," explains Spadacini, "in the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, the areas where Google is most decisively expanding its network of data centres". Internationally, the construction phase of a new facility in India has started, with commissioning scheduled for the first half of 2026. Another major project is the recently approved project in Wisconsin, with Alliant Energy. 'We expect to reach the first GWh of operational capacity in the next 2-3 years, with a global pipeline under development of more than 10 GWh,' Spadacini concludes.