About us

SynchroStor is an engineering R&D business founded in 2017 with the express purpose of developing a high-temperature heat pump with its first application in a cost-effective grid-scale energy storage technology.

  • The novel SynchroStor compressor/expander has been iteratively developed to TRL 6, operating on high-power test rigs at our facility in Edinburgh.

  • Our research and development has been supported privately by our founders and industry stakeholders but also by InnovateUK through the Catalyst programme and by Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through the Energy Storage Cost Reduction Competition in 2019 and more recently through the LODES programme provided by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. This allowed us to scale up the R&D effort and accelerate our route to market.

Join the team

Meet the Team

The SynchroStor senior team boasts extensive experience in navigating the dynamic startup landscape, adept at collaborating with established contractors to leverage specialised expertise and design capacity as the company scales. With stakeholders offering invaluable insights from both end-users and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), SynchroStor maintains a fully vertically integrated approach—from design conception to end-user deployment. This cohesive synergy ensures seamless alignment of vision and execution across all facets of the organisation. 

WIN RAMPEN

Founder & Research Director

  • Win has over 40 years experience of leading the design of novel systems, primarily in complex fluid power systems for renewables, transport and off-road machinery commercialised through Artemis Intelligent Power.

    Win founded SynchroStor in 2017 to explore a number of inventions which could dramatically improve on previous efforts to industrialise Brayton loop pumped heat systems.

    Win holds the Chair of Energy Storage at the University of Edinburgh and is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the RSE, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the RSA.

CARN GIBSON

Chief Engineer

  • Carn has over 30 years of design experience. He has delivered diverse research and development projects both in academia and industry as well as designing robotic handling solutions and complex fluid power systems for marine energy concepts.

    Carn has extensive hands-on workshop experience and will follow projects from inception through design, build, commissioning and handover to the end user.

    Carn has been part of the SynchroStor since 2017 where he now leads the engineering design effort. Prior to this he provided fluid power consultancy at Quoceant after leading the hydraulics team at Pelamis Wave Power.

JACOB AHLQVIST

Managing Director

  • Jacob has worked in the energy industry for 20 years, developing innovative solutions for projects onshore and offshore. He has led concept designs from FEED to full-scale prototyping as well as delivered complex EPCI projects.

    Jacob’s experience extends beyond engineering design, having worked on due diligence exercises for transactions of major power generation assets. Jacob has also worked in advisory roles to UK and Scottish Governments on various energy topics.

    Jacob joined SynchroStor in 2019, after 5 years with Arup’s Energy Consultancy.

ALEXIS DOLE

Chief Technology Officer

  • Alexis has worked for 14 years in technology development, in the domains of renewable energy and energy saving with digital displacement technology.

    As a mechanical engineer he worked on a range of aspects of rotating digital-hydraulic machines, with a strong focus on testing and application engineering.

    As a senior engineering manager, Alexis has strong track records in the delivery of multi -million-pound development programs, managing multi-disciplinary engineering teams and external stakeholders.

FERGUS MACINTYRE

Senior Engineer

  • Fergus is leading the compressor expander machine development.  He is a chartered mechanical engineer with >20 years experience designing, testing and developing hydraulic machines.  He has followed new products from conceptual design through to product launch and had supported manufacturing development up to the start of low volume production