Final Up to date on: 1st July 2025, 11:17 am
Augwind Vitality, primarily based in Israel, will construct the “world’s first commercial-scale AirBattery system” in Germany. The battery will use compressed air saved in salt caverns to generate electrical energy. The AirBattery system can retailer sufficient compressed air to generate gigawatt-hours of electrical energy.
The air is compressed utilizing extra renewable electrical energy and may be saved for lengthy intervals — as much as a number of months. Battery storage methods are typically used for comparatively brief bursts, about 2 to eight hours, however largely simply as much as 4 hours. Lengthy-duration power storage — which means days, weeks, and months — can also be wanted to again up renewable power era.
Or Yogev, Founder and CEO of Augwind, answered some questions concerning the business AirBattery challenge in Germany for CleanTechnica.
What is going to the storage capability be for the primary commercial-scale AirBattery in Germany?
Whereas we’re nonetheless finalising the precise specs for our first business facility in Germany, our AirBattery know-how sometimes has the potential to retailer sufficient compressed air to generate between 3–8 GWh of electrical energy in a single cavern. The ultimate capability will depend upon the particular cavern we choose and the actual wants of our German companions. [Editor’s note: The world’s largest compressed air energy storage system is currently a 300 MW/1,500 GWh system in China. It also uses a salt cavern to store the compressed air. —Zach]
What is going to the challenge value be?
A lot of the challenge prices will depend upon the cavern’s specifics. The corporate expects that the primary of a form AirBattery module will value between 7–15 million euros, relying totally on the cavern strain vary.
What supply of electrical energy might be used to compress the air within the AirBattery?
Our AirBattery system is designed particularly to utilise surplus renewable power from the grid — primarily from wind and photo voltaic sources. That is actually the great thing about our know-how: we’re taking extra renewable electrical energy that may in any other case be wasted in periods of oversupply and storing it for when Germany wants it most. Through the use of domestically produced renewable extra electrical energy, we’re not solely decreasing stress on the electrical energy grid but additionally strengthening Germany’s independence from unstable worldwide power markets.
How can the salt cavern be sealed so no compressed air leaks?
The salt within the deep underground is very condensed and pressurized by the burden above it. The truth is, it’s so dense that it’s utterly hermetic. This distinctive attribute has led to the usage of answer mined salt caverns for safely storing compressed pure fuel for over half a century. A number of such caverns had additionally been in use for air storage in Germany, the USA, and China. Even a lot smaller and elusive molecules equivalent to hydrogen and helium have been safely saved in answer mined salt caverns.
How lengthy can the compressed air in a salt cavern be used as power storage?
That is the place our AirBattery know-how really shines. We are able to retailer power for as much as a number of months — a game-changing functionality for addressing Germany’s ‘Dunkelflaute’ intervals when photo voltaic and wind output is low. Theoretically, our system has limitless period potential, restricted solely by the amount of the cavern itself. This long-duration storage functionality is strictly what Europe wants as renewable power penetration exceeds 50%.
How lengthy will it take to put in and fee the AirBattery?
As soon as allowing is full, we count on the above floor set up to take round 9–12 months, and commissioning to take one other 3–6 months.
What number of generators might be used to generate electrical energy with the compressed air?
The primary facility would come with 3 or 4 generators, producing 3–10 MW of energy on common. The generators might be just like the extremely environment friendly Voith Hydro turbine presently working in our demonstration website.
How rapidly can the AirBattery be used to generate electrical energy when there may be demand?
Fairly quick, however not as quick as lithium-ion. We couple the system with short-duration lithium-ion batteries for ancillary companies and to supply a high-quality energy profile.
Who will use your first commercial-scale AirBattery in Germany?
We’re presently working intently with a spread of stakeholders together with native cavern house owners, utilities, power merchants, and industrial off-takers to finalise our partnerships. Whereas I can’t announce particular prospects but, I can say that the curiosity from the German power sector has been large. Our objective is to change into Europe’s most well-liked associate for multiweek storage options, and this German launch will exhibit that long-term power storage is just not solely technically possible however economically sound.
What is going to the AirBattery’s value per kWh be?
Our AirBattery know-how presents exceptionally aggressive economics at 10–15 USD per kWh for multiweek period storage. This cost-effectiveness, mixed with our minimal environmental footprint and use of domestically sourced supplies quite than essential minerals, makes AirBattery the clear selection for Germany’s power transition wants.
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