The project, invested and constructed by China Energy Engineering Group Co., (CEEC), has set three world records in terms of single-unit power, storage capacity, and energy conversion efficiency.
The project has set three world records in terms of single-unit power, energy storage scale and energy conversion efficiency, with total technological self-reliance for key core equipment and deep underground space utilization products, according to multiple project producers, including China Energy Engineering Corp (CEEC), on Thursday.
What is compressed air energy storage (CAES)?
Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) offers potential, but faces challenges including poor efficiency and reliance on fossil fuels. In this context, the EU-funded Air4NRG project aims to improve long-term energy storage. Specifically, it targets over 70 % round-trip efficiency, sustainability, and integration with the grid.
Tina Casey recently wrote that underground compressed air energy storage is getting attention these days because it may be able to generate electricity for as long as eight hours whereas most grid-scale batteries have exhausted their power after three to four hours.
Current long-term energy storage is mainly provided by Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity (PSH). Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) has appeared for decades as a credible alternative but its poor energy efficiency, the need of fossil fuels and the use of existing underground cavities as storage reservoirs have limited its development.
The completion of this project indicates that China's CAES technology has entered a new era of commercial operation, leading the world in the sector and offering solutions to address the intermittency and volatility issues associated with clean energy generation, per the producers.