ABOUT THIS EPISODE
As intermittent renewables expand, so does the demand for long duration energy storage (LDES). However, different geologies and applications require tailored solutions, and increasingly developers are looking to the subterranean.
Underground storage bypasses some limitations of traditional electrochemical batteries, including degradation, thermal runaway and supply chain constraints. However, compressed air energy storage (CAES) and underground gravity energy storage (UGES) bring their own techno-economic challenges.
In this episode, we speak to two underground energy storage providers to understand how the sector is taking shape on (and under) the ground. CEO of Storelectric Tallat Azad addresses CAES, while founder and CEO of Green Gravity Mark Swinnerton unpacks the technicalities of UGES. We also hear from Edward Barbour, associate professor of energy systems and storage at the University of Birmingham, about the broader landscape.
Eve Thomas, associate editor of GlobalData’s energy titles, is the host and producer of this episode.
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(00:00) Intro
(01:46) How CAES and UGES work
(02:22) Comparing underground technologies
(03:36) How Storelectric uses CAES
(04:34) Geology for CAES
(05:24) How Green Gravity uses UGES
(06:19) Abandoned mines for UGES
(07:13) CAES bottlenecks
(08:24) UGES bottlenecks
(09:17) Relative advantages of CAES
(09:49) Relative advantages of UGES
(10:48) CAES energy storage capacity
(12:00) UGES energy storage capacity
(13:29) Grid impact
(14:37) Underground innovation
(15:19) Outro
