Groundbreaking 300-MW Compressed Air Energy Storage Station Enters Full Operation
26 April 2025 · Uncategorized ·
Source: · https://www.cnr.cn/tech/techgsrw/20250110/t20250110_527036686.shtml
Result
On January 9th, the world’s first 300-megawatt compressed air energy storage (CAES) demonstration project, constructed by China Energy Engineering Corporation ('Energy Storage No.1'), was successfully connected to the grid in Yinge City, Hubei Province. This facility has set three world records for single-unit power capacity, energy storage scale, and conversion efficiency. Notably, all key core equipment and deep underground space utilization products are 100% domestically produced.
A compressed air energy storage power station generates electricity by utilizing stored compressed air. During off-peak hours, surplus electricity powers compressors to store air within salt caverns or artificial chambers. When demand surges, the high-pressure air is released, combined with heat from thermal tanks, and used to drive an air turbine generator, producing electricity.
The 300-megawatt compressed air energy storage demonstration project in Yinge City was initiated in 2022. It is characterized by its “deep, large, long, and green” design: the deepest point reaches 600 meters; it achieves a record-breaking single-unit power capacity of 300 megawatts and an energy storage volume of 1500 megawatt-hours—equivalent to approximately 260 standard swimming pools in underground gas reservoirs; it provides eight hours of daily energy storage and five hours of release time, ensuring an operational lifespan of over thirty years; and the process utilizes no fossil fuels. It is estimated that annual power generation will exceed 498 million kilowatt-hours, saving more than 150,000 tons of standard coal annually.
On January 9th, the world’s first 300-megawatt compressed air energy storage (CAES) demonstration project, constructed by China Energy Engineering Corporation ('Energy Storage No.1'), was successfully connected to the grid in Yinge City, Hubei Province. This facility has set three world records for single-unit power capacity, energy storage scale, and conversion efficiency. Notably, all key core equipment and deep underground space utilization products are 100% domestically produced.
A compressed air energy storage power station generates electricity by utilizing stored compressed air. During off-peak hours, surplus electricity powers compressors to store air within salt caverns or artificial chambers. When demand surges, the high-pressure air is released, combined with heat from thermal tanks, and used to drive an air turbine generator, producing electricity.
The 300-megawatt compressed air energy storage demonstration project in Yinge City was initiated in 2022. It is characterized by its “deep, large, long, and green” design: the deepest point reaches 600 meters; it achieves a record-breaking single-unit power capacity of 300 megawatts and an energy storage volume of 1500 megawatt-hours—equivalent to approximately 260 standard swimming pools in underground gas reservoirs; it provides eight hours of daily energy storage and five hours of release time, ensuring an operational lifespan of over thirty years; and the process utilizes no fossil fuels. It is estimated that annual power generation will exceed 498 million kilowatt-hours, saving more than 150,000 tons of standard coal annually.