The world's first 300 MW compressed air energy storage (CAES) demonstration project, "Nengchu-1," was fully connected to the grid in Yingcheng, central China's Hubei Province on Thursday, marking the official commencement of commercial operations for the power station.
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A photo of the pressure-bearing spherical tanks at the "Nengchu-1" project. Photo: Courtesy of China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd., (CEEC)
The project, invested and constructed by China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd., (CEEC), has set three world records in terms of single-unit power, storage capacity, and energy conversion efficiency.
This milestone marks China's CAES technology entering the 300 MW era of engineering applications.
"Nengchu-1" was independently developed by CEEC in collaboration with over a hundred domestic industry partners. It is the world's first large-scale CAES solution with complete independent intellectual property rights and a full industrial supply chain, designed for long-duration physical energy storage.
This solution, suitable for projects of 300 MW and above, effectively addresses the intermittency and volatility of renewable energy generation, serving as a crucial support for constructing a new power system.
“The successful grid connection of 'Nengchu-1' provides a 'Chinese solution' to the global challenge of instability and uncertainty in new power systems dominated by renewable energy, contributing to the green and low-carbon energy transition,” said Song Hailiang, Chairman of CEEC.
The project, which broke ground in 2022, utilizes the abundant salt cavern resources in Yunmeng and Yingcheng, Hubei Province. It is the world's first full green, non-supplementary combustion, and high-efficiency 300 MW CAES project, representing China's innovative achievement with complete independent intellectual property rights in the CAES field.
"'Nengchu-1' will save 159,000 tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 411,000 tons annually. It will play a significant role in ensuring the safe and stable operation of the power grid and facilitating the consumption of renewable energy," said Wan Mingzhong, Chief Expert of CEEC.
Looking ahead, CEEC plans to use the full-capacity grid connection of "Nengchu-1" as an opportunity to drive technological innovations in CAES toward higher efficiency, lower costs, and larger scales, contributing to advancing the global energy transition toward a green and low-carbon future.
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