A Review of Seasonal Energy Storage for Net-Zero Industrial Heat: Thermal and Power-to-X Storage Including the Novel Concept of Renewable Metal Energy Carriers

Yvonne I. Baeuerle (), Cordin Arpagaus and Michel Y. Haller
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Yvonne I. Baeuerle: Institute for Solar Technology (SPF), Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST), Rapperswil, Oberseestrasse 10, 8640 Rapperswil, Switzerland
Cordin Arpagaus: Institute for Energy Systems (IES), Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST), Buchs, Werdenbergstrasse 4, 9471 Buchs, Switzerland
Michel Y. Haller: Institute for Solar Technology (SPF), Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST), Rapperswil, Oberseestrasse 10, 8640 Rapperswil, Switzerland

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-28

Abstract: Achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 requires CO 2 -neutral industrial process heat, with seasonal energy storage (SES) playing a crucial role in balancing supply and demand. This study reviews thermal energy storage (TES) and Power-to-X (P2X) technologies for applications without thermal grids, assessing their feasibility, state of the art, opportunities, and challenges. Underground TES (UTES), such as aquifer and borehole storage, offer 1–26 times lower annual heat storage costs than above-ground tanks. For P2X, hydrogen storage in salt caverns is 80% less expensive than in high-pressure tanks. Methane and methanol storage costs depend on CO 2 sourcing, while Renewable Metal Energy Carriers (ReMECs), such as aluminum and iron, offer high energy density and up to 580 times lower storage volume, with aluminum potentially achieving the lowest Levelized Cost of X Storage (LCOXS) at a rate of 180 EUR/MWh of energy discharged. Underground TES and hydrogen caverns are cost-effective but face spatial/geological constraints. P2X alternatives have established infrastructure but have lower efficiency, whereas ReMECs show promise for large-scale storage. However, economic viability remains a challenge due to very few annual cycles, which require significant reductions of investment cost and annual cost of capital (CAPEX), as well as improvements in overall system efficiency to minimize losses. These findings highlight the trade-offs between cost, space requirements, and the feasibility of SES deployment in industry.

Keywords: decarbonize industrial heat; seasonal energy storage; thermal energy storage; power-to-x; renewable metal energy carriers; sector coupling (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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