Centralized Renewable Energy Systems

Solutions that favor increased flexibility, resilience and robustness in the energy system, and that can help to avoid volatilities in the electricity market so that variable supply can be matched to a varying demand at competitive prices, are needed. A key potential solution, is the installation of stationary energy storage systems (SESS). The installation of SESS can enhance the resiliency of the system by providing ancillary services in support of the transmission system operation (e.g. frequency regulation and black start services). SESS can also be used for investment deferral, such as for energy shifting, and for transmission and distribution congestion relief. Furthermore, when co-located with wind or solar power installations (both centralized or distributed), SESS can help in reducing curtailment, as well as for capacity firming. Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) have seen a rapid growth in adoption driven by a steep cost decline, high power densities and long lifetimes compared to other battery types. This trend has been mainly driven by EV applications, but as renewables increase their share in the mix, the need for LIB SESS will surge. The environmental impact resulting from the usage of the LIB for SESS has not been widely studied via LCA, and even more so there are no standard methodologies or guidelines for performing LCA of LIB SESS, with most studies available excluding end-of-life considerations.

HYBRIDplus aims to pioneer the next generation of CSP with an advanced high-density and high-temperature thermal energy storage (TES) system capable of providing a high degree of dispatchability at a low cost and with a much lower environmental burden than the State of the Art. This thermal storage is based on the Phase Change Material (PCM) technology in a cascade configuration that can reproduce the effect of a thermocline and integrates recycled metal wool in its nucleus. This enables hybridization with PV by acting as an electric heater transforming non-dispatchable renewable electricity into thermal stored energy ready to be dispatched when needed. HYBRIDplus proposes a novel concept to hybridize PV+Cascade PCM-TES with CSP configuration based on a high-temperature supercritical CO2 cycle working at 600 ºC. This new plant is called to form the backbone of the next-generation energy system thanks to higher efficiency and lower LCOE than state-of-the-art technology.

The aim of this project is to design, assess and develop an innovative technical cost-effective solutions for integrated power-to-heat and thermal energy storage systems to satisfy the heat demand of the hard to abate industrial sector. The final goal of the project is to provide design recommendations for Kyoto Group’s next generation thermal energy storage and power-to-heat solution.

SHARP-sCO2 addresses key technological challenges to enable the development of a new generation of highly efficient and flexible CSP plants. Keeping on working with CSP-sCO2 power cycles and investigating how to exploit air as operating fluid, SHARP-sCO2 will develop and validate novel enabling technologies in EU top level labs. SHARP-sCO2 will attain high temperatures and cycle efficiency, while guaranteeing reliable and flexible operation. Introducing a smart hybridization with PV by means of an innovative electric heaters, SHARP-sCO2 will maximize sCO2 operation and remuneration, exploiting PV affordability while counting on the unique energy storage capabilities of CSP.

SOLAR based sCO2 Operating Low-cost plants