Torus Spin Named Winner of 2025 R&D 100 Award for Energy Innovation

The Torus Spin Flywheel Energy Storage System has been named a winner of the 2025 R&D 100 Awards in the Mechanical/Materials category. Other winners this year include DuPont, General Motors, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, and MIT.

Established in 1963, the R&D 100 Awards recognize the most significant innovations in science and technology worldwide and remain one of the industry’s most respected honors. Each year, the awards highlight 100 technologies selected by an independent panel of industry experts and sponsored by R&D World magazine. Winners are chosen from research groups, national laboratories, Fortune 500 companies, and startups across a wide range of fields.

We set out to build an energy storage system that is fast, durable, and sustainable — and most importantly, one that customers can trust to deliver resilient power as demand on the grid accelerates.” — Nate Walkingshaw, CEO & Co-founder at Torus

The Torus Spin is part of the Torus Station, an advanced energy storage platform designed to strengthen the electric grid. Spin stores electricity kinetically: it draws power from the grid or a renewable source to accelerate a steel rotor, then releases that stored energy back as clean, high-quality electricity when needed. This process enables a response time of less than 250 milliseconds, a lifespan of more than 20 years, and reliable performance in extreme temperatures.

Spin provides fast, safe, and long-lasting power stabilization for utilities, data centers, and industrial facilities. By delivering reliable inertia-based electricity, Spin helps balance grids in the era of AI, electrification, and renewable integration.

• Inertial Power Generation – A motor generator produces instant, stabilizing power to support the grid.
• Renewable Integration – Converts variable renewable energy into stable inertial power.
• Power Conditioning – Provides frequency regulation and voltage support across sub-transmission and distribution networks.
• Fast Response – Responds to demand surges up to 10x faster than traditional chemical batteries.
• Transmission Relief – Reduces congestion by rapidly absorbing and releasing energy.
• Sustainable Design – Built with 95% recyclable materials, the highest recyclability in the market.
• Scalable Architecture – Modular flywheel units work in series to meet growing power demands.

“The R&D 100 Award reflects the breakthrough our team has achieved with Torus Spin,” said Nate Walkingshaw, CEO and co-founder of Torus. “We set out to build an energy storage system that is fast, durable, and sustainable — and most importantly, one that customers can trust to deliver resilient power as demand on the grid accelerates.”

This recognition follows Torus Spin’s selection as one of TIME magazine’s Best Inventions of 2024, further establishing it as one of the most advanced energy storage solutions on the market today.