An ultra-high temperature (1800 K) storage system is proposed where heat losses are minimised and recovered to make a higher storage temperature attractive, thus unlocking greater energy densities and efficiencies. Radiation dominates heat losses at ultra-high temperatures but can be minimised through the design of the storage medium container. However, even after energy is lost from storage, heat pumps in the store and charge cycles in addition to preheating during the extraction cycle can be used to recover a significant amount of heat. Collectively loss reduction and recovery techniques can lead to a storage system with a performance and utility that exceeds other energy storage methods