Two compressed air energy storage will be built in the USA, which will save 4 GWh of energy

As the world transitions to renewable energy, grid-scale energy storage is becoming

increasingly important. Achieving carbon neutrality will require coordinated technologies. And there's a problem.

For example, for pumped storage installationsaccounts for about 95% of the world's grid energy reserves, and gigawatt-scale power plants have been in operation since the 1980s. The problem is that using these resources requires a specific type of site and a huge amount of concrete to build a pumped storage hydroelectric power plant. Rotting vegetation trapped in dams also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, the largest megabatteries built so far have a capacity of only 200 MW/MWh.

A compressed air energy storage device (CAES) can store energy on a grid-wide basis. At the same time, it is considered reliable, like a hydraulic accumulator, but without restrictions in construction.

In 2017, the Canadian company Hydrostor developed a new compressed air energy storage system. It's cheaper than using lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.

Today Hydrostor announced the development ofCalifornia long-term energy storage facility with a capacity of 1,000 MW. All projects will use the company's Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) technology, which provides energy storage from 8 to 12 hours. 

The A-CAES system uses surplus energygenerated in power plants to compress air, which is then sent to storage in a container underground. The heat generated by this compression also accumulates.

According to Quartz, the cost of one kilowatt-hourstorage facilities at Hydrostor will be about the same as at gas stations or batteries. But as capacity increases, they scale much cheaper.

The first plant is slated to be built in Rosamond, California. If all goes according to plan, it will launch in 2026. The second plant will be located in California, but the exact location has not yet been announced.

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