The Impact of Design Modifications on the Effectiveness of Energy Storage Construction in a Salt Cavern According to Enhanced Technology Based on Laboratory Tests

Mariusz Chromik and Waldemar Korzeniowski ()
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Mariusz Chromik: The Research and Development Center for the Mining of Chemical Raw Materials, CHEMKOP sp. z o.o., ul. J. Wybickiego 7, 31-261 Kraków, Poland
Waldemar Korzeniowski: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management, AGH University of Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-33

Abstract: This article presents findings from ongoing research on improving the efficiency of leaching salt caverns for brine production and creating storage spaces for gases or fuels. Previous studies of the authors highlighted the potential of modifying conventional technology by employing a high-pressure water jet to carve niches in salt rock. Current research aims to define precise niche parameters using innovative and enhanced Jet Cavern Technology (JCT). Our research identified improvements in leach efficiency across various configurations and quantities of niches. By analyzing three salt types—pink, spiz, and crystalline—it was demonstrated that creating a niche perpendicular to the well axis significantly reduces the time to achieve saturated brine by approximately 38%, particularly during the initial construction phase. Further adjustments in niche dimensions, spacing, or spatial positioning can improve cavern construction rates by up to 20% over standard methods. This study quantified the correlation between the advancement of the process and the rate of increase in the salt content in the brine. Accelerated brine saturation facilitates cavern construction and mitigates environmental concerns associated with the discharge of unsaturated brine. The adoption of this new technology is crucial for the expansion of renewable energy sources and the associated storage requirements.

Keywords: salt cavern; energy storage; solution mining; leaching technology; niche modification; brine production; hydrogen (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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