Hydrostor, a Toronto-based company, is revolutionizing the energy storage market with its innovative compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) technology. The company plans to construct two massive long-term energy storage facilities, one near Sydney, Australia, and another in Kern County, California.
The Australian facility, located near a former mine site, will be capable of discharging 200 MW of electricity for up to eight hours and is expected to be operational by 2027. On the other hand, the Californian installation, situated near Edwards Air Force Base, will supply 500 MW of power for eight hours and is slated for completion before 2030.
Hydrostor’s A-CAES technology works by using surplus electricity to pump air into an underground cavern partially filled with water. The process of compressing the air produces heat, which is then extracted and stored above ground for later use. When it’s time to discharge energy, the system releases water into the cavern, forcing the air to the surface. The air, now mixed with the stored heat, is passed through a turbine to generate electricity.
This technology has already been proven successful with a 1.75 MW system in Canada that can supply electricity for six hours. The company’s plans for the Australian and Californian facilities represent a significant step forward for the clean energy transition, demonstrating the critical role that long-duration energy storage will play in providing affordable, reliable, and emission-free electricity.
The Australian project, known as the Silver City Energy Storage project, is expected to contribute an estimated $1 billion to the local economy, creating 750 direct and indirect jobs during construction and 70 ongoing jobs once in operation. The California plant, on the other hand, has a projected cost of about $1.5 billion, making it competitive with other long-term energy storage technologies.
Read more at: www.wired.com