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Major Breakthrough Achieved in the R&D of the World’s First and Most Powerful Single-Unit Compressed Air Energy Storage Compressor
Recently, China has achieved a major breakthrough in the research and development of compressed air energy storage(CAES) technology . Developed jointly by the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences(IET, CAS) and ZHONG-CHU-GUO-NENG(BEIJING)TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD., the world’s first CAES compressor with the largest single unit power has successfully passed the third-party testing accredited by CNAS. According to the test results, the compressor achieved maximum discharge pressure of 10.1MPa, a maximum power output of 101MW and an operating range of 38.7% to 118.4% under variable conditions and an efficiency of 88.1% at maximum discharge pressure, reaching an internationally leading level.
Recently, China has achieved a major breakthrough in the research and development of compressed air energy storage(CAES) technology . Developed jointly by the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences(IET, CAS) and ZHONG-CHU-GUO-NENG(BEIJING)TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD., the world’s first CAES compressor with the largest single unit power has successfully passed the third-party testing accredited by CNAS. According to the test results, the compressor achieved maximum discharge pressure of 10.1MPa, a maximum power output of 101MW and an operating range of 38.7% to 118.4% under variable conditions and an efficiency of 88.1% at maximum discharge pressure, reaching an internationally leading level.
The compressor is one of the most critical core components of a compressed air energy storage system. During the energy storage process, it will compress the atmospheric pressure air to high-pressure state and store it in gasometers, converting electric energy to pressure energy and thermal energy of the air. Through independent innovation, the research team overcame key technical challenges including overall system design and optimization, full 3-Dimensional flow optimization, long rotor complex shafting structure design and high-efficiency variable operating condition control, successfully developing the world’s first CAES compressor with a single unit power exceeding 100MW, featuring fully independent intellectual property rights. Compared with existing CAES compressors, its single-unit power has increased by more than 100%, unit costs have been significantly reduced and it offers advantages including high efficiency, high pressure and a wide operating range.
The Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences has been a pioneer in China’s CAES research since 2005. Through continuous efforts for over 20 years, it originally proposed new principles for advanced compressed air energy storage, developed several critical technologies including system design for full operating conditions system design, wide-load compressors, high-efficiency compact heat exchangers and high-load expanders; It has established a comprehensive R&D and design system covering “system design-key components-integrated control; it has also taken the lead in building national demonstration projects for 1.5MW-10MW-300MW advanced CAES. The successful development of the CAES marks an important milestone of world compressed air energy storage technology, which will drive the technology to a new level.
The above work was supported by projects including Chinese Academy of Sciences Strategic Priority Research Program (Category A), National Key Research and Development Program of China and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Young Scientists Fund (Category A), among others .
Looking ahead, ZHONG-CHU-GUO-NENG will actively promote the application of this compressor and continue to enhance its capabilities in technological innovation, manufacturing, and engineering implementation. Through the transformation and wider application of major scientific and technological equipment achievements, the company aims to deliver high-end equipment with higher efficiency, better performance, and lower costs, thereby driving high-quality industrial development and supporting China’s energy transformation and sustainable development of regional economies.
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Cache Power Plans ‘Canada’s First’ Commercial-Scale Compressed Air Energy Storage Facility
Source: Energy Storage News
The facility will be constructed in two phases and located next to the Marguerite Lake substation to enhance efficiency and facilitate grid integration. Image: EllisDon
Compressed air energy storage (CAES) developer Cache Power is partnering with construction company EllisDon to deliver a CAES facility in Northeast Alberta, Canada.
The facility will be constructed in two phases and located next to the Marguerite Lake substation to enhance efficiency and facilitate grid integration.
Cache Power does not have any information on its website, but appears to be a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for Federation Engineering.
On Federation’s website, the company clarifies that the Marguerite Lake facility will have a 250MW load capacity and 640MW generation capacity. Energy storage capacity or planned duration were not referred to in publicly available materials.
The companies assert that the technology will be essential in stabilising Alberta’s grid and supporting both provincial and national efforts toward a net-zero electricity future. The project has secured all key regulatory approvals, with early construction scheduled to start soon.
CAES technology operates by pressurising and directing air into a storage medium to load the system. When discharging, the stored air is released through a heating system to expand, driving a turbine generator.
Notably, the companies claim the project will be the first commercial scale CAES facility in Canada.
Ontario-headquartered Hydrostor is known for its advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) projects.
A-CAES operates similarly to traditional CAES but captures heat from the compressor and passes it through heat exchangers to store in pressurised water. This water is kept in a reservoir and then released into a cavern to displace air during discharging, a process known as hydrostatic compensation.
In conventional CAES, less than 50% of the energy can typically be recovered. The thermal energy produced during compression is often wasted, and the power output varies depending on the residual underground air pressure.
Hydrostor has two small operational projects in Canada, one a pilot and the other a commercial demonstrator, with the larger one being a 2.2MW/10MWh commercial system in Goderich, Ontario.
Hydrostor noted the Goderich Energy Storage Centre as the world’s first commercially contracted A-CAES facility. In addition to its role as technology provider, the A-CAES company is also developing large-scale projects around the world, including its 1.6GWh Silver City project in New South Wales, Australia, and 4GWh Willow Rock project in California, US. The company has secured some funding and offtake agreements for both, including a recent renegotiation of contracts for Willow Rock (ESN Premium article).
It has also proposed a 500MW/8,000MWh project in Ontario (ESN Premium), adjacent to Ontario Power Generation’s Lennox Generating Station in Greater Napanee.
Speaking with Energy-Storage.news, a representative from Federation clarified that the distinction between the CAES system titles for itself and Hydrostor came down to scale and usage.
Cache Power’s facility can store up to 48 hours of energy by compressing air with excess grid electricity and sequestering it in underground salt caverns formed through solution mining.
It can also blend up to 75% hydrogen with natural gas, with a future plan for complete hydrogen utilisation, aligning with Canada’s net-zero ambitions.
Power plant equipment supplier Babcock & Wilcox are collaborating on engineering the possible hydrogen facility expansion, employing the company’s BrightLoop technology.
Babcock & Wilcox claim that BrightLoop can produce hydrogen while isolating carbon dioxide for capture and storage.
Additionally, Cache Power states it will deliver economic and social advantages to the local community and Indigenous Partners. Cold Lake First Nations has actively engaged in the project’s development and is anticipated to collaborate as a partner with Cache Power in both the project and its operations.
Update: Jordan Costley, Director of Sustainability Projects at Federation Engineering, and President of Cache Power has clarified that the project will be 30.72GWh. Costley also added about CAES energy recovery:
“(The 50% recovery statistic) may have been true for the original D-CAES projects such as Huntorf (Germany 1978) and McIntosh (USA 1991) but our project is utilizing the latest D-CAES technology from Siemens Energy.“
“Today’s compression technology utilising multi-stage integrally geared and intercooled compressors is very efficient resulting in the heat of compression being low grade not valuable for thermal energy storage and reuse in the expansion process. The expander trains also include 90% effective dual-reheat recuperators again significantly increasing the overall efficiency. The technology we are utilizing is not “conventional CAES” as defined by Huntorf and McIntosh.
(By April Bonner)
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