One Startup’s Quest to Store Electricity in the Ocean
A bold new vision is emerging from beneath the waves — one startup’s quest to store electricity in the ocean may soon reshape how the world powers itself. Inspired by an old yet powerful idea, this innovation could provide a scalable solution to one of renewable energy’s biggest challenges: storing power when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining.
Image Credits:Sizable Energy
When Manuele Aufiero was a child, he often hiked with his parents along a unique reservoir in northern Italy. Unlike most, this one constantly drained and refilled, using pumps to raise the water level when electricity was cheap and generating power when demand spiked. That early experience became the spark for what would later become Sizable Energy’s groundbreaking project.
Turning Centuries-Old Hydropower into a Marine Innovation
The technology behind this inspiration, called pumped-storage hydropower, or “pumped hydro,” has been around for over a century. It’s one of the largest and most reliable forms of energy storage on Earth, with facilities worldwide holding around 8,500 gigawatt-hours of electricity, according to the International Energy Agency.
However, there’s a catch — pumped hydro requires specific landscapes, with steep elevations and large water reservoirs. These geographic constraints limit how much the world can rely on it to stabilize renewable energy grids.
That’s where one startup’s quest to store electricity in the ocean begins to stand out.
Sizable Energy’s Underwater Power Vision
Manuele Aufiero, deeply passionate about pumped hydro, knew the concept worked — it just needed a new environment. “I’m in love with pumped hydro,” Aufiero told TechCrunch. “It’s just not enough to keep up with renewables.”
To solve that, he co-founded Sizable Energy, a startup that wants to bring this century-old concept underwater. Their idea? Build flexible reservoirs deep in the sea to mimic the energy storage of traditional hydropower without relying on mountains or land-based dams.
Recently, Sizable Energy raised $8 million in funding led by Playground Global, with support from EDEN/IAG, Exa Ventures, Satgana, Unruly Capital, and Verve Ventures. The investment signals growing confidence in ocean-based energy storage as a feasible alternative to batteries and traditional grid infrastructure.
How the Ocean “Battery” Works
At first glance, Sizable Energy’s power plant looks like a giant hourglass resting beneath the sea. The system uses two sealed reservoirs — one floating near the surface and another anchored to the seabed — connected by a plastic tube and turbines.
When renewable power is abundant and cheap, electricity pumps water from the bottom reservoir to the top. When demand rises, the process reverses: gravity pulls the water back down, turning turbines to generate electricity.
This closed-loop system mimics traditional pumped hydro but with a crucial difference — it doesn’t need mountains or valleys, just open ocean.
Why Storing Electricity in the Ocean Could Change Everything
The world is racing to build more renewable energy capacity, but storage remains a bottleneck. Lithium-ion batteries dominate the conversation but come with high costs, limited lifespans, and environmental concerns. By contrast, ocean-based pumped storage could offer a longer-lasting, scalable, and potentially cheaper solution.
Experts believe that projects like one startup’s quest to store electricity in the ocean could fill the gap between intermittent renewable generation and consistent power delivery. If successful, this approach could make offshore wind and coastal solar installations more reliable and efficient.
Funding and Future Ambitions
Sizable Energy’s $8 million raise marks an early but promising milestone. Investors like Playground Global are known for backing deep-tech ventures with long-term impact potential. Their support suggests confidence in Sizable’s ability to take its concept from prototype to deployment.
The company plans to use the funds to test small-scale models, optimize materials for deep-sea durability, and navigate environmental and regulatory assessments. Early results could help determine whether the ocean can truly become the next frontier for large-scale energy storage.
From Reservoirs to Oceans
For decades, engineers have sought new ways to replicate the benefits of pumped hydro in places without mountains. Some have turned to abandoned mines or underground caverns. But the ocean offers something none of those options can: vast, untapped space and natural pressure differentials ideal for storage systems.
Projects like one startup’s quest to store electricity in the ocean could complement battery technology rather than replace it. Together, they could help create a hybrid energy storage ecosystem — one that balances short-term and long-term needs for global power grids.
Environmental and Economic Potential
Critics may question the feasibility and environmental impact of ocean-based systems. However, Sizable Energy’s approach is designed to be closed-loop, minimizing water contamination and marine disruption. The use of flexible reservoirs and lightweight materials also reduces installation costs compared to traditional offshore infrastructure.
If scalable, the economic implications are immense. Nations with long coastlines could use this technology to stabilize grids, store surplus renewable energy, and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.
A New Wave of Energy Storage Innovation
The quest to make renewable energy more reliable is sparking innovation across the globe — from gravity-based systems in decommissioned mines to hydrogen conversion plants. Yet few ideas capture imagination quite like one startup’s quest to store electricity in the ocean.
By merging time-tested hydropower principles with modern materials and marine engineering, Sizable Energy could help usher in a new era of sustainable power storage — one literally beneath the surface.
As the world moves toward a carbon-neutral future, storage innovation will be as critical as generation. Sizable Energy’s ocean-based solution isn’t just an experiment; it’s a potential blueprint for the next generation of clean energy infrastructure.
If it works at scale, one startup’s quest to store electricity in the ocean could prove that the future of energy isn’t only found in the sky with solar panels or on land with wind turbines — but also deep beneath the waves.
Post a Comment