RheEnergise, the UK company developing a new and advanced form of long-duration hydro-energy storage for worldwide application, has appointed Sophie Orme as Commercial Director.
Orme has worked in the energy and cleantech sectors for over 15 years, working with early stage and major businesses, including Centrica Business Solutions, where she led the renewables and energy storage workstream of Centrica’s award-winning Cornwall Local Energy Market.
At RheEnergise, Sophie will drive the company’s commercial development in UK and overseas markets. Her arrival precedes a third round of fundraising – Series A and crowdfunding via the Crowdcube platform – that will commence within the next quarter.
RheEnergise’s High-Density Hydro® storage system is designed to be low-cost, energy efficient and environmentally-benign. Rather than using water, RheEnergise has invented a fluid, which is 2.5 times denser than water, and which can provide 2.5 times the power and 2.5 times the energy when compared to a conventional low-density hydro-power system that operate in the Scottish Highlands, Wales and across Europe, the company said.
The High-Density Fluid R-19™ is pumped uphill between storage tanks that are buried underground. The storage tanks are connected by underground pipes. It means that, unlike conventional pumped hydro energy storage, a RheEnergise HD Hydro system can operate beneath small hills rather than mountains; the system requires 2.5 times less vertical elevation. The company says this means that there are many more sites suitable for RheEnergise projects – in the UK and across the world. RheEnergise’s own analysis shows that there are c6500 UK site opportunities, c115,000 in Europe, c345,000 in North America and c500,000 in Africa and the Middle East.
“I’m excited to join RheEnergise at a time when countries across the world are looking at alternative options to strengthen their energy security and achieve their Net Zero ambitions,” said Orme. “ Long duration energy storage has an important part to play in the future, and RheEnergise’s high-density hydro solution can make a massive contribution.”
Stephen Crosher, RheEnergise’s Chief Executive, said: “As renewable energy deployment gathers pace, energy shifting, utilising long duration energy storage, is essential to balance intermittent generation and importantly to keep costs low. Our high-density hydro solution addresses both short and long term national and local energy requirements. Sophie’s work in energy flexibility with Centrica and realising its benefits to distribution network operators and customers will be hugely valuable as we take forward our business.”