Canadian company Hydrostor has just received approval to build the first grid-scale compressed air energy storage system in Australia.
Hydrostor will deploy a 5MW / 10MWh system at a former zinc mine near Strathalbyn, South Australia. The advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) project, expected to cost AU$30 million (US$21.09 million) in total, received development approval and has been welcomed in statements by local politicians including South Australia’s energy and mining minister, Dan Van Holst Pellekaan.
“This is another step in the transition of South Australia’s energy system by the integration of renewable energy into the grid to deliver cheaper, more reliable and cleaner energy,” van Holst Pellekaan said.
“A-CAES is a new energy storage technology for Australia that provides synchronous inertia, load shifting and frequency regulation to support grid security and reliability.”
The system is designed to use surplus electricity generated by nearby solar and wind facilities to run compressors. Air is also heated as it is compressed and stored underground. A Hydrostor video explainer can be seen below.
Caverns will be dug 240 metres below the Angas Zinc Mine site, repurposing the existing mine to store the compressed air, which then drives a generator to produce electricity. The system will be used to help the local electricity network deal with times of peak demand, by outputting energy to the grid when needed.
It’s expected to have a 30-year lifetime in operation, with the South Australian government supporting the project directly with AU$3 million in funding through its Renewable Technology Fund. The national Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is also contributing, putting in AU$6 million of the total cost.
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