Revolutionising energy storage with underwater tanks

Could new compressed-air systems help to boost power grid resilience?

Spotted: Efficient energy storage is essential to achieving net zero by 2050, providing essential resilience to the grid when intermittent renewable power sources are in shorter supply. Currently, though, growth in large-scale storage capacity is not where it needs to be. BaroMar hopes to change that, with its underwater storage solution.

Compressed-air energy storage (CAES) is not a new idea, but its implementation has been limited largely due to location constraints and technology inefficiencies. BaroMar’s system, by contrast, has a limited land footprint and achieves up to 70 per cent efficiency, which is higher than existing CAES technologies. It also has a lower levelised cost of storage compared with other long-duration storage systems.

Surplus electricity from nearby renewable energy generators, like wind farms and solar plants, drives a connected compressor to pipe ambient air down to rigid concrete and steel structures that are secured to the seabed. The tanks, which are full of water-permeable valves, push out seawater to make space for the pumped air. When electricity is needed, air is piped back to a turbo expander and generator on land that supplies the grid.

VP of Business Development and Environment Hila Ehrenreich told Springwise that the company is currently building a four-megawatt-hour pilot plant to test the technology. Once its feasibility has been proven, BaroMar hopes to finalise commercial contracts with international companies to deploy its technology in suitable offshore locations around the world.

Springwise has spotted other innovative energy storage systems, including storing surplus power in rock beds and carbon-oxygen batteries.

Written By: Matilda Cox