The national pilot demonstration project for storage of compressed air energy at Jintan salt cavern was officially put into commercial operation in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, on May 26.
The only national demonstration project and the first commercial power plant project in the compressed air energy storage field, the plant was jointly constructed by China National Salt Industry Group Co., Ltd. (CNSIC), China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd. (China Huaneng) and Tsinghua University.
A bird's-eye view of the Jintan salt cavern compressed air energy storage project in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
Both the storage and installed capacities of the first phase of the project are 60 megawatts and the total generation capacity of the project is expected to reach 1,000 MW.
The project was approved by the National Energy Administration in 2017. Its construction started in 2018 and the plant went into service on Sept 30, 2021.
Completion and operation of the first phase of the project was a breakthrough in China's salt cavern compressed air energy storage technology and a milestone of commercialization of new-type energy storage technology in the country.
The project is a result of cooperation between universities and colleges, central state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and research institutes.
CNSIC was responsible for construction of the underground gas storage area based on advanced cavity construction and injection-production technologies. China Huaneng shouldered construction, adjustment, operation and maintenance work by giving full play of its electric power advantage. The non-supplementary fired compressed air energy storage technology with proprietary intellectual property rights was developed by Tsinghua University.
It's worth noting that many other SOEs such as State Grid Corporation of China, Dongfang Electric Corporation, Harbin Electric Corporation, Shanghai Electric Group, Shenyang Blower Works Group Corporation, China Energy Engineering Corporation Limited, Power Construction Corporation of China, China National Petroleum Corporation, China Petrochemical Corporation and Zhejiang Construction Investment Group Co., Ltd. also contributed to the construction, making the project an example of cross-border cooperation and coordinated innovation.
Salt cavern compressed air energy storage refers to a method for compressing air into the huge cavity formed by water-solution-based salt mining during low electricity demand periods, and releasing air to drive an air turbine to generate electricity when it is needed.
It is estimated that the Jintan salt cavern compressed air energy storage project will have a power output equaling that produced by burning about 30,000 metric tons of standard coal, eliminating 60,800 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
As the world's first non-supplementary fired compressed air energy storage power station, the project has applied for more than 100 patents and established a technological system with completely independent intellectual property rights.
China's first coding standard and grid-connected standard in the field of compressed air energy storage were also released during the project, and the country's first national standard and industrial standard in the field have also been filed, forming a standard system of compressed air energy storage.
Last but not least, a group of professional talents in compressed air energy storage with scientific research and innovation ability and engineering practice experience has also been cultivated, laying a foundation for development of the industry.
(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)
