- The Tai’an 2×300MW compressed air energy storage innovation demonstration project broke ground on Sept 28 in East China’s Shandong Province.
- It is expected to be the world’s largest salt cavern compressed air energy storage project
- Using air reduces overhead and materials costs compared with hydrogen storage.
- Compressed air is stored during surplus times and fed back during peak usage.
Jointly invested and built by China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd. and Tai’an-based Taian Taishan New Energy Development Co., Ltd., the project has an investment of 2.23 billion yuan in the first phase, which includes construction of a 350-MW/1.4 million kWh generator unit based on the 325-degree Celsius low-melting point molten salt high-temperature thermal insulation compression technology. It has a designed energy storage and charging time of eight hours and an energy-releasing and discharging time of four hours.
Related news: China commisions 100MW compressed air energy storage plant
The project is planned to be built in two phases. Once fully operational, it is expected to be capable of generating about 1 billion kilowatt-hours of power annually.
Image credit: MDPI https://doi.org/10.3390/en10070991
It’s worth noting that the project is expected to have the world’s largest unit generation capacity, best conversion efficiency and greatest energy storage scale. Its development will help boost advanced new-type energy storage technology, encourage consumption of renewable energy and improve recycling of the waste salt cavern resource.
The project is also of great significance in supporting safe and stable operation of Shandong’s power system, improving comprehensive recycling of the salt cavern resource in the region and promoting regional economic development, as well as enhancing the campaign of replacing old growth drivers with new ones.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
Source: en.sasac.giv.cn
