EPRI completed the world's largest test of concrete thermal energy storage

EPRI, a leading independent and non-profit energy research and development organization, cooperated with Southern Company and Storworks to successfully test a pilot concrete thermal energy storage (CTES) system at Gaston Power Plant of Alabama Electric Power Company.

It is said that this is the largest pilot project of this kind in the world. The 10MWh power storage solution is charged by using the heat of supercritical steam generated by Gaston Unit 5.

Neva Espinoza, vice president of energy supply and low-carbon resources at EPRI, said that the progress of long-term energy storage technology is the key to unlocking the full potential of variable renewable energy on the road to net zero emissions.

With the highly complex transformation of the power industry, CTES can play an important role in effectively providing reliable and affordable power that society depends on.

The project was funded by the US Department of Energy, and the technology was developed by Storworks. According to EPRI, this technology can be applied to existing or new thermal power plants, including coal, natural gas, nuclear energy or concentrated solar energy. The core technology can go beyond electric power and be applied to industrial thermal decarbonization and other fields.

Scott Frazer, co-founder of Storworks, said: "We thank our partners for their foresight and support, which makes this pilot demonstration possible."

"In the process of transforming to low-cost intermittent renewable energy, low-cost long-term energy storage is becoming more and more important. The Gaston project is an important milestone in promoting the commercialization of our technology."

According to the design, the high-pressure steam from the power plant flows through the pipeline, heats the concrete, and the concrete stores the heat energy until the water is converted into steam, generates power according to the grid demand, and returns the heat energy to the power plant.

EPRI emphasized in an official statement that the CTES pilot system not only demonstrated the potential of this technology to store heat energy and convert it into electric energy when combined with thermal power plants, but also exceeded the original goal of the project, because steam production was demonstrated at several pressure levels.

EPRI said that it has successfully completed more than 80 energy charging and discharging cycles within the total operation time of 700 hours.

CTES system can give power grid operators greater flexibility, allowing them to store energy when needed, and provide energy when it is most valuable. As part of the clean energy transition, EPRI will continue to evaluate the feasibility of CTES and other long-term energy storage options.

Dr. Mark S. Berry, senior vice president of research, environment and sustainable development of Southern Company, said that as a leader in the field of research and development, the company was exploring the potential of CTES technology in decarbonizing power generation.

(Source: EPRI Global Energy Storage Network, New Energy Network Integration)