Reasons for increasing the power capacity of energy storage power stations

Why is battery energy storage important?

The weather-dependent uncertainty of wind and solar power generation presents a challenge to the balancing of power generation and demand in highly renewable electricity systems. Battery energy storage can provide flexibility to firm up the variability of renewables and to respond to the increased load demand under decarbonization scenarios.

Why is long-duration energy storage important in a decarbonized power system?

In decarbonized power systems, the increasing energy demand necessitates long-duration energy storage. These storage technologies play a crucial role in managing the intermittent nature of renewable energy, offering grid flexibility, minimizing curtailment, and ensuring reliable and resilient power supply.

Why is energy storage important?

Energy storage helps to optimize grid operations, reduce peak demand, integrate with demand–response programmes, and support electrification and decarbonization efforts [ 5 ]. In addition, energy storage will play a crucial role in enabling the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon energy future.

How does load demand affect stored energy?

As the load demand increases, both the dispatch and capacity of CAES also increase, leading to a rise in stored energy. With a two-times increase in the load demand ( Fig. 9b ), the maximum available energy stored in the CAES extends to 12.5 days (equivalent to 301.7 hours of mean demand).

Are energy storage systems a transformative solution?

Energy storage systems have emerged as a transformative solution, capable of storing surplus renewable energy and ensuring a reliable power supply, even during periods of low generation [ 4 ]. As the demand for electricity in decarbonized power systems grows, there will be a corresponding increase in the deployment of energy storage systems.

What does doubling a battery energy storage system mean?

For battery energy storage systems, this means increasing the battery's energy capacity. This could be repowering a system following degradation or a commercial decision to increase the project’s duration. Doubling a battery’s energy capacity via duration could boost revenues by 37% today but up to 88% over its lifetime.