Professor Wei Wu’s Team Publishes Breakthrough in Thermal Energy Storage in Nature Communications

The research team led by Professor Wei Wu, Associate Professor from the School of Energy and Environment (SEE) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), has made significant progress in the interdisciplinary field of energy and water resources. Their innovative research titled "Multi-stage power-to-water battery synergizes flexible energy storage and efficient atmospheric water harvesting" has been published in the top-tier international journal Nature Communications.

This innovative research introduces the concept of a "Multi-Stage Power-to-Water (MSP2W) battery," which integrates large-scale thermal energy storage with efficient atmospheric water harvesting technology. This pioneering approach aims to simultaneously address two major global challenges: the integration of renewable energy and the shortage of freshwater resources.

The prototype demonstrates exceptional performance, producing 3060 grams of water per day, sufficient to meet an adult’s daily needs, with a record-low energy consumption of 1.13 kWh per kilogram. Economic analysis further indicates that the system could achieve a water cost below $20 per ton in renewable-rich areas. The MSP2W battery thus opens a new path for sustainable development by simultaneously addressing energy intermittency and water scarcity, especially in arid regions.

The study outlines the design principles of MSP2W.

Dr. Haosheng Lin, a former PhD student and now postdoctoral fellow under the supervision of Prof. Wu, is the first author of the paper. Major collaborators are Dr. Yan Song and Prof. Jia Zhu from Nanjing University.

The full paper is available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-66053-8#Ack1