On May 26, the world first non-supplementary combustion compressed air energy storage power station — China’s National Experimental Demonstration Project Jintan Salt Cavern Compressed Air Energy Storage, technologically developed by Tsinghua University mainly, was officially put into operation. At 10 a.m., Unit 1 of China Jintan Energy Storage Project was successfully incorporated to the grid and put into operation stably, symbolizing that China’s first national demonstration project of compressed air energy storage was completed in accordance with the standard for commercial power stations, and formally put into operation after trial operation for power generation with continuous full-load energy storage. It is a milestone in the development of China’s new energy storage technology!

Aerial photo of the National Experimental Demonstration Project Jiangsu Jintan Salt Cavern Compressed Air Energy Storage

Lu Qiang and He Yaling, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Li Yaoqiang, chairman of China National Salt Industry Group, Academician Shu Yinbiao, chairman of China Huaneng Group, and Academician Wang Guangqian, vice president of Tsinghua University, delivered congratulations via video.

Professor Mei Shengwei, Chief Scientist of the National Experimental Demonstration Project Jiangsu Jintan Salt Cavern Compressed Air Energy Storage, delivered a speech

Shu Yinbiao, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chairman of the International Electrotechnical Organization (IEC) and Chairman of China Huaneng Group, delivered a speech

Li Yaoqiang, Chairman of China National Salt Industry Group, delivered a speech

Compressed air energy storage is a large-scale new energy storage technology quickly developed in recent years. Salt cavern compressed air energy storage is to use the huge cavity formed by water-soluble salt mining, compress the air into the salt cavern at power consumption valleys, and release the compressed air to generate electricity at power consumption peaks, so as to regulate power supply by peak shaving and valley filling, and it is a key technology to build a new power system and achieve the goal of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”.

This project, the exclusive national demonstration project and the first commercial power station project in the field of compressed air energy storage in China, is jointly developed by China National Salt Group, China Huaneng Group and Tsinghua University. In Phase 1 of the project, the energy storage power and installed power generation capacity are both 60MW, the energy storage capacity is 300 MWh, and the long-term construction scale is 1000 MW.

As the world first non-supplementary-fired compressed air energy storage power station, all devices in this project are the first sets, which involve difficulties in both equipment research and integration for the first time. Moreover, there are no standards for such power station construction, operation and maintenance, no experience in commissioning but a series of challenges such as lack of mechanism and price policy.

Facing the important task of national demonstration and the challenge of commercialization for the first time, this project has assembled a national team in China’s energy field, and has become a model of alliance between a famous university and strong enterprises, and in-depth cooperation among production, education and research. As the technology developer, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Electronics (EEA) of Tsinghua University has set up a professional technical research and development team to provide technical support for this project. Mei Shengwei, a professor of EEA and the vice president of Qinghai University, serves as the chief scientist of the project, and Xue Xiaodai, an associate researcher of EEA, serves as the chief engineer of the project.

The project was approved by the National Energy Administration in 2017, and put into construction in 2020. With the perseverance and cooperation of the project team and the support from the National Energy Administration, Jiangsu Development and Reform Commission, Jiangsu Energy Administration, Jiangsu Energy Regulatory Office, State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Company, Changzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, and Jintan District Party Committee and District Government, the original brave and innovative idea was finally realized into a benchmark for new type energy storage. During the construction, the project team turned pressure into motivation, turned difficulties into experience, upgrade experience into standards, and achieved the national demonstration goal of “producing technologies, producing standards, and producing talents”.

In terms of “Created in China”, the project team has applied for more than 100 patents, established a technical system with completely independent intellectual property rights, developed and verified the first set of high-load centrifugal compressor, high-parameter heat exchanger and large-size air turbine, etc.; in terms of “Chinese standards”, it released the first coding standard and grid-incorporating standard in the field of compressed air energy storage in China, established the first national standard and industry standard, and gradually formed a standard system for compressed air energy storage in China; in terms of “talent training”, it cultivated a group of compressed air energy storage professionals with both scientific research innovation ability and engineering practice experience, of which 4 people have become registered experts of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and 3 people have been selected as experts of the National Electric Power Energy Storage Standard Committee, and the first batch of compressed air energy storage power station commanders have obtained qualification certification for their posts.

Lu Qiang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the salt cavern non-supplementary combustion compressed air energy storage technology is one of the important supporting technologies for realizing large-scale consumption of new energy and building a new power system, and it is of great significance for promoting the upgrading of energy structure and ensuring the sustainable development of energy power.

Wang Guangqian, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and vice president of Tsinghua University, said that the successful commissioning of the national demonstration project marks the successful engineering application of non-supplementary combustion compressed air energy storage technology, and also marks the preliminary formation of an engineering technology system for domestic production of key equipment, power station engineering design, integrated construction and operation. It is a major achievement and an important breakthrough in China’s comprehensive implementation of the energy and environmental security strategy.

Shu Yinbiao, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, chairman of the International Electrotechnical Organization (IEC), and chairman of China Huaneng Group, said that the commissioning of the project has explored a new path for the high-quality development of new energy storage technologies, which is not only a major practice to promote the construction of a new power system and help achieve the “dual carbon” goal, but is also a major practice to realize strong-strong alliance of central enterprises and colleges to enhance China’s ability in systematizing innovative energy storage technologies.

Li Yaoqiang, chairman of China Salt Group, said that the project is the world first industrial-level project of clean compressed air energy storage, all parties involved in the construction have completed the important task of the national demonstration project and the first commercialization through cross-border cooperation and collaborative innovation, and it is an important milestone in the utilization of salt cavern resources to explore the development of China’s salt industry.

He Yaling, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the demonstration project has made a series of scientific research achievement in the basic theory of energy storage, system design, equipment research and development and power station integration, etc., and made a breakthrough in China’s core technology and major equipment for large-scale physical energy storage.

The chief scientist of the project, professor of Tsinghua University and vice president of Qinghai University Mei Shengwei, introduced that the project has made a breakthrough in the commercial operation of compressed air energy storage technology in China, and set up a landmark in scientific research, technological breakthrough and industrial development, which will provide strong support for the sustainable development of China’s compressed air energy storage and even the whole energy industry.

After the project is put into operation, it will further optimize the operation mode and be built into an industry landmark for new type energy storage towards three major goals: compressed air energy storage technology test, standard establishment, engineering and commercial operation demonstration. Meanwhile, the project team will accelerate the construction of Jintan Phase II compressed air energy storage project, and constantly provide new energy storage solutions for the construction of a new power system dominated by new energies.

Project commissioning ceremony