📋 Tender Overview
Air Isothermal Compression Technology For Long Term Energy Storage
Searching For Stable Long-Term Energy Storage Solutions Through Caeswith Intermittent Renewable Energy Production On The Rise, The Need For Stable Long-Term Energy Storage Solutions Has Become Imperative. Current Options, Predominantly Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity (Psh), Fall Short In Stabilising Fluctuating Renewable Energy Outputs. Compressed Air Energy Storage (Caes) Offers Potential, But Faces Challenges Including Poor Efficiency And Reliance On Fossil Fuels. In This Context, The Eu-Funded Air4Nrg Project Aims To Improve Long-Term Energy Storage. Specifically, It Targets Over 70 % Round-Trip Efficiency, Sustainability, And Integration With The Grid. Its Innovative Caes Prototype Promises Robustness And Safety, While Prioritising Circular Economy Principles. The Project Aims For A Plug-And-Play Solution, Fitting Into A Standard Container With Over Ten Hours Of Storage Duration, Without Rare Materials.
Funded Under
Climate, Energy And Mobility
Total Cost
€ 4 959 398,75
Eu Contribution
€ 4 959 398,75
Coordinated By
Zabala Brussels
Belgium
Start Date
1 January 2024
End Date
31 December 2026
Objective
Recognizing that current storage solutions are unable to stabilize enough the intermintent renewable energy production, new long term energy storage solutions are becoming mandatory.
Current long-term energy storage is mainly provided by Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity (PSH). Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) has appeared for decades as a credible alternative but its poor energy efficiency, the need of fossil fuels and the use of existing underground cavities as storage reservoirs have limited its development. Variations to CAES have shown low efficiency, losing a big percentage of energy as heat and mechanical losses. Since the 2010s, there is a strong revival of scientific and industrial interest on CAES, led by China and the European Union (EU). For the EU, leading the new generation of high-efficient, low climate-impact and long-term energy storage research, is key to increase its energy independency.
In this context, the main objective of Air4NRG is the development of an innovative, efficient (over 70% RTE), long-term, and sustainable CAES prototype, which can enhance renewable energy availability and offers robustness and safety while increasing cost effectiveness and improving the environmental footprint. At the same time, it will promote innovation and competitiveness in the European energy storage industry, while prioritizing the principles of circular economy and environmental sustainability. Another key factor of the solution is the integrability to the electrical grid system and their intelligent EMS, which will be proven by the end of the project through end user integration activities (TRL5). The project will result in a plug and play prototype, fitting into a standard 40ft container with an over ten-hours storage duration. The developed syste
