Abstract
Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is an established and evolving technology for providing large-scale, long-term electricity storage that can aid electrical power systems achieve the goal of decarbonisation. CAES facilities often utilise large underground storage caverns to ensure high capacity systems. This results in the need of locations with suitable geological features to develop a CAES plant. This paper examines recent and ongoing large-scale CAES projects and presents candidate methods of storing high pressure air using underground features. An assessment of the overall potential for CAES in India is presented by examining its geological features and locations with the greatest potential for CAES plants are determined. This is combined with an analysis of the renewable electricity generation potential in India to identify candidate areas for renewable generation and CAES integrated systems. Up to 1.05% of Indian land area is deemed suitable for CAES plant development and if fully utilised would be sufficient to meet the energy storage needs of India, however, practically a very small fraction of the total suitable land that could be developed so other competing energy storage technologies should be considered. Conversely, the UK possesses a very good potential for CAES, enough to greatly exceed necessary energy storage, owing to the abundance of salt beds not present in India. For CAES to garner serious consideration in India, aquifer storage based CAES needs to be demonstrated.
Highlights
As electrical power systems transition from centralised thermal power plants to distributed renewable energy sources for power gener ation, the balance between power supply and load demand becomes more complex
Compressed air energy storage is a large-scale energy storage tech nology that will assist in the implementation of renewable energy in future electrical networks, with excellent storage duration, capacity and power
An assessment of the potential for underground compressed air energy storage has been conducted for India by collating geological characteristics local to each region and integrating the potential for renewable electricity genera tion
Summary
As electrical power systems transition from centralised thermal power plants to distributed renewable energy sources for power gener ation, the balance between power supply and load demand becomes more complex. If an increasing proportion of power generation from renewable energy, in the region of 60%–70%, is to be achieved, grid scale energy storage with long term storage duration will be required to replace the role of current thermal power plants in providing flexibility services. The government of India has set the ambitious target of providing 40% of its electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030 [4]. To achieve this goal, the rate at which renewable electricity generation technologies are being installed in India is growing each year. The electrification of transportation and heating is inevitable, which will in turn require more power generation, and must be supplied from renewable energy sources. This paper is to examine and compare the potential ca pacity of CAES in India and the UK
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