Scientists at the Guangzhou Institute of Energy Research have unveiled a novel “Power‑to‑Ice” (P2I) system that converts offshore wind and solar electricity into a pumpable ice slurry. The idea tackles three big hurdles for deep‑sea renewable power: the lack of nearby users, costly grid connections, and huge transmission losses. By freezing seawater on site, the system creates a cold‑energy storage medium that can be shipped in flexible bags or kept in offshore platforms, directly supporting the cold‑chain needs of the fishing industry. In a pilot study using a 100 MW wind plus 50 MW solar hybrid plant, the team applied advanced optimization algorithms to size the equipment. The final design runs an 98 MW ice‑making unit backed by a 42 MW/163.8 MWh battery bank, achieving an energy‑efficiency ratio of 5.74. The ice slurry costs about 50.7 yuan per ton and the whole setup pays for itself in roughly 4.7 years. Compared with power‑to‑hydrogen and power‑to‑grid alternatives, P2I cuts carbon emissions by 1.32 kg CO₂ per kWh—nearly 38 times more than hydrogen and three times more than grid storage. The breakthrough was recently published in Applied Thermal Engineering, offering a promising, low‑carbon pathway for large‑scale ocean renewable energy use.
Read more