Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the positive merits of thermal storage technologies; and if he will bring forward (a) legislative proposals and (b) associated policies to support them.

As set out in the Heat and Buildings Strategy, flexible use of energy, including through the use of thermal storage, can help create a cost-effective, efficient and secure energy system.

The Government is supporting the development of novel thermal storage technologies through the Net Zero Innovation Programme, the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund, the long duration energy storage competition and at universities through research council funding; for example, through the “Heat Pump Fully Integrated with Thermochemical Store” innovation work at the University of Warwick. This will help inform future policy on such technologies.