The promise and challenges of utility-scale compressed air energy storage in aquifers

Chaobin Guo, Cai Li, Keni Zhang, Zuansi Cai, Tianran Ma, Federico Maggi, Yixiang Gan, Abbas El-Zein, Zhejun Pan and Luming Shen

Applied Energy, 2021, vol. 286, issue C, No S0306261921000714

Abstract: Widely distributed aquifers have been proposed as effective storage reservoirs for compressed air energy storage (CAES). This aims to overcome the limitations of geological conditions for conventional utility-scale CAES, which has to date used caverns as the storage reservoirs. As a promising technology, compressed air energy storage in aquifers (CAESA) has received increasing attention as a potential method to deal with the intermittent nature of solar or wind energy sources. This article presents a selective review of theoretical and numerical modeling studies as well as field tests, along with efficiency and economic analyses, to assess the feasibility of the emerging technology. Although some field tests suggest that a large bubble could be created in aquifers to sustain the working cycles at target rates, challenges remain before the technology can be recommended for wide deployment. The geological critical safety factors affecting the gas bubble development and sustainability of operation cycles include the geological structure, aquifer depth, and hydrodynamic and mechanical properties, such as porosity, permeability, compressibility, and mineral composition. Moreover, the injection/withdrawal well configurations and oxidation reactions caused by the oxygen in compressed air should also be considered. The failed attempt of renewable energy combined with CAESA in Iowa is described and the lessons learned are summarized. Combining CAESA with thermal storage, using CO2 as cushion gas, horizontal wells or hydraulic fracturing, and man-made boundaries are proposed to improve CAESA efficiency but need further study for future applications.

Keywords: Compressed air energy storage; Aquifers; Storage efficiency; Pittsfield test; Iowa Stored Energy Plant Agency project (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116513

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