Are abandoned salt caverns feasible for energy storage in China?

Abandoned salt caverns are feasible for energy storage in China. Minimum pressure of 9–12 MPa is recommended for Pingdingshan salt cavern. Investment cost is estimated for compressed air storage in salt caverns in China. Levelized cost is calculated for salt cavern compressed air energy storage systems.

How much energy can a salt cavern store?

When salt cavern CAES stores 5% of solar and wind energy, the required energy storage capacity will reach 485.0 TWh by 2050. If 50% of Class A salt caverns and 20% of Class B salt caverns are repurposed for CAES (Mode 1), mining enterprises could provide 466.6 TWh of storage capacity by 2050.

What is compressed air energy storage (CAES)?

Compressed air energy storage (CAES) shows significant development potential compared to pumped hydro energy storage (PHES). For example, Germany's Huntorf CAES project, which has operated since 1978, provides 290 MW of generating capacity and can be started within 8 min for emergency use .

Can abandoned salt caverns be used for compressed air storage?

Discussion This study investigates the method of utilizing abandoned salt caverns for CAES. By developing a 3D geomechanical model, the mechanical response of abandoned salt caverns during the storage of compressed air was simulated numerically.

How do you calculate the energy storage capacity of a salt cavern?

(13) W = W O + W N (14) W O = μ 1 W A + μ 2 W B Where W, W N, W O, W A, and W B are the annual energy storage capacities of salt caverns, CAES-NC systems, CAES-AC systems, Class A salt caverns, and Class B salt caverns, respectively. μ 1 and μ 2 are the utilization proportions of Class A and Class B salt caverns, respectively.

Is natural cave a gas reservoir?

Gas reservoir is an important part of compressed air energy storage system (CAES), and natural cave is considered as a potential reservoir type.