Portuguese researchers discover underground rock system to store renewable energy at high scale
Portuguese researchers have identified that porous underground rock formations could serve as large-scale batteries for renewable energy storage. This method could potentially store up to 1 terawatt-hour of energy, helping to solve grid absorption issues.
Why it matters
Advancements in long-duration energy storage are critical for the global transition to renewable energy sources.
LISBON, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese scientists have found that porous underground rock formations could store renewable energy on a scale sufficient to power entire cities, offering a potential solution to one of the greatest challenges of the energy transition, according to a study announced on Friday.
The research, published in the journal Geoenergy, and conducted by teams from the GeoBioTec center at the NOVA University Lisbon Faculty of Sciences and Technology and the Dom Luiz Institute at the University of Lisbon Faculty of Sciences, is the first systematic analysis of how depth influences the conditions for underground compressed air energy storage in porous media.
Countries including China and Germany already use underground compressed air energy storage, but from salt caverns, which store lower energy volumes. The Portuguese team plans to study the rock formations in greater detail through laboratory sample analysis to build more robust models.
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