Renewable energy, such as wind and solar, is one of the most effective tools in combating climate change. Yet, widespread deployment of renewables still faces major barriers, namely the intermittent nature of solar and wind energy. Capturing wind and solar energy to be deployed whenever and wherever needed requires energy storage technology that is scalable, efficient, site-dependent, durable and safe. None of the existing technologies can meet all of these requirements.

Prof Tianshou Zhao proposes an elegant solution to address these issues, and more. With two decades of experience in clean energy research, and an interdisciplinary approach involving electrochemistry and thermofluid science, Prof Zhao is leading a large-scale Theme-based Research Project to develop e-fuel storage. An electrically rechargeable liquid fuel, e-fuels can be charged with the electricity from solar PVs and wind turbines to be deployed on demand. The electricity generated by e-fuel power packs can be integrated into the grid, can power off-grid communities, and can even propel next-generation vehicles. Along with its high efficiency and site-independency, the e-fuel system will revolutionize existing energy storage technologies.