Research Status and Prospect of Underground Artificial Rock Caverns for Compressed Air Energy Storage

Abstract

[Introduction] Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is a technology for storing electrical energy on a large scale, only second to pumped storage in terms of scale. The gas storage device is an important component of CAES. The gas storage facilities of compressed air energy storage power plants that have been put into commercial operation domestically and abroad are mostly natural geological structures such as salt caverns and abandoned mines. Large-scale, long-term compressed air energy storage requires more economical and widely applicable gas storage facilities. [Method] Artificial underground cavern gas storage facilities largely freed compressed air energy storage power plants from the reliance on specific geological conditions, becoming a strong support for the large-scale construction of long-term compressed air energy storage power plants. However, there were few research achievements in this field domestically and internationally. Understanding the research status at home and abroad, summarizing advanced experiences from other industries, and clarifying the challenges that need to be addressed urgently in this field had significant implications for the large-scale construction of compressed air energy storage power plants. [Result] There are significant differences in the operating characteristics between artificial underground caverns in compressed air energy storage power plants and conventional artificial caverns such as natural gas storage facilities and hydroelectric water conveyance tunnels, and there is a lack of mature design methods and regulations for this field, with many technological challenges still awaiting resolution. This paper reviews the characteristics and key research contents of underground artificial caverns in compressed air energy storage power plants. [Conclusion] Prioritizing safety, considering cost-effectiveness and fostering innovation provide a guarantee for the independent development of the underground hard rock gas storage facilities for compressed air energy storage power plants. This technology holds practical significance in enriching China's energy storage and power generation experiences, and improving new power systems. If this technology matures, it can provide strong support for the construction of a new power system in China.

Keywords

• compressed air energy storage
• caes
• underground artificial caverns
• large-scale energy storage technology
• safety and cost-effectiveness