Pumped hydro is an old, proven storage technology, with great potential for large scale storage solutions for renewable energy in the hours range. All you need is a hill with an artificially created water basin on top. Roundtrip storage efficiency about 80%.
[source] Aerial picture of the existing oil terminal at Bantry Bay
Irish renewable energy company EI-H2 aims to develop 3.2 GW hydrogen storage, in a joint-venture with US giant Zenith Energy at Bantry Bay, next to an existing oil terminal. In the first phase, a 2.7 GW hydrogen facility will be build. In the second phase, 500 MW worth of ammonia will follow. The hydrogen plant will be sourced by renewable offshore wind.
Time path: 2028.
[independent.ie] – EI-H2 and Zenith announce plans for ‘green hydrogen’ plant in Bantry Bay
[zenithterminals.com] – Zenith Energy and EI-H2 Announce Joint Venture for Green Energy Facility at Bantry Bay
[Google Maps] – Bantry Bay
Floating offshore wind illustrated with a French example
Data in short:
Name project Emerald.
Location: 35 km out of the cost near Cork, Southern Ireland.
Power: 300 MW initially, option for 1 GW.
Operational: 2028.
Nr. of turbines: 12-25 (that would be turbines between 12-20 MW)
Conclusions:
– Shell is getting real serious about reinventing itself as a renewable energy company.
– Offshore wind now gets a deep water option, vastly expanding the potential applications. Think Japan, China, US, Ireland, Norway and many others.
ITM-UK is good at producing hydrogen through electrolysis of water, where Linde, a company of German origin, is an expert in handling industrial gasses. For the developing hydrogen economy this seems to be a match made in heaven.
[itm-power.com] – Incorporation of ITM Linde Electrolysis GmbH
[wikipedia.org] – Linde plc
Dublin, Ireland-based Gaelectric was granted €90m in European Union backing for a compressed air energy storage (CAES) project due to be built in Larne, east Antrim, on the Northern Irish coast. (2017).
The funding came on top of €15m in previous grants, the BBC reported. The Larne CAES project, due for completion around 2022, is a European project of common interest that will generate up to 330MW of power for up to six hours.
Editor: hopefully Brexit won’t ruin this project.
[energystoragereport.info] – Europe chases GWh energy storage
[wikipedia.org] – Compressed air energy storage (CAES)
[arup.com] – Storing compressed air energy in underground caverns
[energycentral.com] – EU Funds 330-MW Northern Ireland CAES Storage Project
[cleantechnica.com] – Additional €8.3 Million For Northern Ireland Energy Storage Project
Source: [eera-set.eu] – Gaelectric Energy Storage –> 54% efficiency
[warwick.ac.uk] – CAES presentation ParkID/Franc Mouwen
Very detailed video documentation of the installation of an Enercon E-70 windturbine in Caherdowney, near Cork in Ireland (beautiful music from [9:37]).
[thewindpower.net] – Caher Downey windfarm (Ireland)
[enercon.de] – E-70
[wikipedia.org] – Enercon
DeepResource 