Compressed air energy storage technology costs

Which energy storage technologies are included in the 2020 cost and performance assessment?

The 2020 Cost and Performance Assessment provided installed costs for six energy storage technologies: lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, lead-acid batteries, vanadium redox flow batteries, pumped storage hydro, compressed-air energy storage, and hydrogen energy storage.

What is compressed air energy storage?

Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is one of the many energy storage options that can store electric energy in the form of potential energy (compressed air) and can be deployed near central power plants or distribution centers. In response to demand, the stored energy can be discharged by expanding the stored air with a turboexpander generator.

What is compressed-air-energy storage (CAES)?

Compressed-air-energy storage (CAES) is a way to store energy for later use using compressed air. At a utility scale, energy generated during periods of low demand can be released during peak load periods. The first utility-scale CAES project was in the Huntorf power plant in Elsfleth, Germany, and is still operational as of 2024.

When did compressed air energy storage start?

The first utility-scale compressed air energy storage (CAES) system, with a capacity of 280 MW, was established in 1978 at Huntorf in Germany. To date, one more large system of this type (McIntosh with a capacity of 110 MW in the USA in 1991) and facilities of an experimental nature have been commissioned .

Where can compressed air energy be stored?

Compressed air energy storage may be stored in undersea caves in Northern Ireland. In order to achieve a near- thermodynamically-reversible process so that most of the energy is saved in the system and can be retrieved, and losses are kept negligible, a near-reversible isothermal process or an isentropic process is desired.

How is compressed air used to store and generate energy?

Using this technology, compressed air is used to store and generate energy when needed . It is based on the principle of conventional gas turbine generation. As shown in Figure 2, CAES decouples the compression and expansion cycles of traditional gas turbines and stores energy as elastic potential energy in compressed air . Figure 2.