ExpectedOutcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Increased availability, robustness and safety of sustainable and efficient choices for energy storage to increase security of supply, reduce energy losses, cost effectiveness and improve the environmental footprint of the energy system.
- Availability and functionality of innovative large-scale energy storage systems developed for specific system designs and applications.
- Increase technology leadership, competitiveness and technology export potential of European storage technology industry.
- Enhanced sustainability of storage technologies, taking fully into account circular economy, social, economic and environmental aspects in line with the European Green Deal priorities.
- In addition to development of the storage technology as such, it should be made suitable to accumulation of different heat sources, including solar-thermal energy, geothermal energy, industrial waste heat, as well as heat produced using photovoltaics, hybrid solar panels (Photo-Voltaic Thermal Panels) and wind energy technologies.
- Systemic approach, smart integration concepts, including intelligent management together with other energy sources. Efficient techniques/methodology of buffering between demand and supply to be ensured.
Scope:
Demonstration of innovative heat and/or cooling storage technologies, going beyond the state of the art, which address long-term energy storage up to cross-seasonal storage. Large-scale solutions are expected to be embedded into
- District-level heating and/or cooling storage.
- and/or integrate heat supply (industry waste heat) and demand for heat for industrial processes.
Where appropriate, contribution to Power-to-Heat-to-Power technology should be explored.
They should optimise CAPEX, OPEX and round-trip efficiency of heat storage, as well as circularity and sustainability of the system and its components, which are expected to be non-toxic, highly durable and reasonably easy to recycle. Land (space) footprint is also an important aspect which should be taken into account. An LCA should be performed. Strategic independence is to be considered, i.e. use of abundant materials whenever it is possible.
The demonstration projects should address the required methodologies for the predictive maintenance and control of the whole system.
Maximum use of all available thermal energy sources as well as systemic approach to integration into energy system is to be ensured.
(Indirect) collaboration with IEA’s Energy Storage Technology Collaboration Programme is to be ensured, e.g. through IEA Member States. Notably: Task 39 “Large Thermal Energy Storages for District Heating”.
Basic material research is excluded.
Projects should address economic viability studies validated by industry and assessment of large-scale replication potential. The exploitation plans should include business plan indicating the possible funding sources to be potentially used (such as private equity, InvestEU, EU Catalyst Partnership and the Innovation Fund).
Specific Topic Conditions:
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 7-8 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
