Our solution for the missing part of the energy transition: The main birth defect of electricity generation from Renewable Energies (RE), especially photovoltaic (PV) and wind is that in the last 20 years concentration has only been put on the build-up of peak capacity of PV plants and wind parks, without requesting for energy storages covering a high percentage of the peak-load and at least 10 hours of discharge time. For securing the power demand also at non-availability from RE, during periods of darkness and lull in wind (Dunkelflaute), HPS stores the surplus energy at peak times and produces electricity, when the demand is high.
HPS stores the surplus energy at peak times and produces electricity,
when the demand is high.
Due to the increase of RE and the reduction of fossil power plants daily energy peaks and power gaps are increasing dramatically
HPS absorbs the surplus energy from RE at peak times, stores it and produces electricity during power gaps from RE
Fact check of energy transition
- The energy transition is proceeding in terms of taking over percentage from fossil fuels, however, there is a stagnation of safe base-load power production since 2013 at less than 0,3% of the installed power of PV- and windparks together e.g. in Germany (<300 MW)
- The main birth defect of electricity generation from Renewable Energies (RE), especially photovoltaic (PV) and wind is that in the last 20 years concentration has only been put on the build-up of peak capacity of PV plants and wind parks, without requesting for energy storages covering a high percentage of the peak-load and at least 10 hours of discharge time.
- Volatile power generation will increase with the phasing out of coal-fired and nuclear power plants and will lead to problems in stabilizing the networks from 2023
- Additional efficient power lines are important, but do not help if too much surplus electricity is generated by wind farms and PV systems and cannot be stored temporarily, while no contribution can be made to satisfy the demand during periods of calm and darkness (Dunkelflaute)
- The existing pumped storage power plants in the 2-digit GWh range are far from sufficient to compensate for the power deficits from renewable energies, especially during an extended Dunkelflaute
- In order to achieve the goals of Governments of in the year 2050 producing approx. 90% of the energy production via renewable energies, it is counterproductive to expand this without immediately increasing the storage capacity, e.g. with High-Pressure Pumped storage power plants (HPS) for a first stage goal by a factor of 6
- This requires great efforts from all actors, which must be supported by a tailored political and funding framework
- The storage power plant dilemma is that without storage power plants, the further expansion of PV and wind power does not make sense; however, for storage power plants integrated into grids, PV systems, wind farms and consumers, framework conditions must be immediately created that allow their economic operation
- Apart from industrialized regions like Europe, USA, Australia and China, developing African countries need international Aid Banks, to have a look also at investment budgets for RE plus storage for the nighttime and evening hours, when demand faces its peak to allow more independence from fossil imports
Solution Approach
- Development of a High-Pressure Pumped storage power plant (HPS) which requires no difference in altitude, but has the same energy density as a pumped storage power plant in the high Alps with a head of up to 2000 m
- In contrast to conventional pumped storage power plants with a head of several hundred meters, HPS can be realized largely invisible in the lowlands, in lignite mining areas, to be renatured and in or on water bodies
- Through integration in photovoltaic systems and wind parks, the surplus electricity generated there can be absorbed on site without incurring transmission fees
- International hybrid energy projects with generation and transport of green hydrogen and other green energy carriers are possible with HPS technology
Fields of Application
- Integration of HPS as energy storage in open area PV-plants
- Integration of HPS as energy storage in onshore- and offshore wind parks
- No transmission charges are due, being typical for energy storage plants
- Increase of grid capacity for new PV-plants and wind parks can be avoided
- PV-plants and wind parks are getting adult with the help of HPS and are developing into controllable, largely self-sufficient power plants
- Integration of HPS as energy storage along of powerlines to strengthen the grid and to improve the flexibility
- Construction of large HPS capacities with up to 4 000 MW and storage capacities of up to 80 GWh in former lignite mining areas before their renaturation
Our Clients
- Electricity grid operators and public utilities: bridging periods of calm and darkness of up to 20 hours per day
- Operators of (brown) coal-fired power plants: Conversion of power plant units into regenerative pumped and heat storage power plants
- Project developers and Investors for PV-plants: Improved returns by shifting the grid feed-in in times of higher feed-in tariffs
- Onshore- and Offshore wind parks: Compensation of lulls by HPS
- Industrie mit hohem Strombedarf: Mittel-bis langfristige Sicherstellung unterbrechungsfreier Stromversorgung
- Battery manufacturers: With the high CO2 emissions for the production of vehicle batteries, the EU CO2-emission limits for vehicles cannot be met unless they draw electricity from renewable sources in 24/7 mode, which is only made possible by energy storage at the production facility with HPS
- Operators of EV charging stations: As the proportion of electric vehicles increases, network capacities will not be sufficient and will have to be strengthened by HPS
- Supermarkets and parking areas: In conjunction with PV systems, HPS can supply electricity to supercharger stations
USP
•Low LCOE (levelized cost of electricity)
•Extreme long life time of 50 years+: experience of 80 years exist from hydro power stations
•No degradation of capacity during lifetime
•High cycle efficiency of 75-85%
•No rare-earth materials needed
•Minimal temporary intervention in nature
•Positive environmental impact with irrigation options for farmland and greenland
•Full recycling at end of lifetime after 50 years+
•Using of own resources
•Installation anywhere underground, overground or in a lake, river or basin possible
•No land consumption, as no upper basin in a mountain is necessary
•Integration into photovoltaic plant and wind parks possible with no or little footprint
•Extreme large capacities at one location of up to 4000 MW and 80 GWh (80000 MWh) possible (this would be rank 1 worldwide for pumped storage hydro power)
•First class production partners with high production capacity
•Split HPS in different countries in combination with hydrogen production and transportation, allowing higher cyle efficiencies than pure hydrogen