The world's first (set) 300MW compressed gas energy storage power station was successfully connected to the grid, creating 3 world-leading and 6 industry demonstrations, and achieving 100% manufacturing in China.

4月9日， The world's first (set) 300MW compressed gas energy storage power station jointly invested by China Energy Construction Digital Group and State Grid Hubei Comprehensive Energy-Hubei Yingcheng 300MW/1500MWh compressed gas energy storage power station demonstration project (hereinafter referred to as "Yingcheng Project") was successfully connected to the grid for the first time ，标志着全球压气储能电站由此迈入“300MW级”单机商业化新时代。

"The Yingcheng project has created three world leaders in the field of compressed air energy storage in terms of single machine power, energy storage scale, and conversion efficiency; it has created a demonstration of compressed air energy storage systems, a demonstration of independent core equipment, a demonstration of green and low-carbon advanced technologies, and a high-quality project. Demonstration, demonstration of digital intelligence throughout the entire industry chain, and demonstration of complete sets of technology for comprehensive utilization of salt caves, as well as dozens of international firsts and first-time breakthroughs. Core technology equipment has achieved 100% manufacturing in China." Wan Mingzhong, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Digital Science Group, said that the Yingcheng project was successfully connected to the grid for power generation, achieving a major breakthrough in the industry from "0 to 1", and verifying the reliability, innovation and leadership of the China Energy Storage System Solutions with large capacity, high efficiency and ultra-long time period, demonstrating the world's leading position. Digital Science Group coordinates and promotes the two-way efforts of "scientific and technological innovation + engineering practice", with cultivating and creating new quality productivity as its strategic focus, and continues to lead China's new long-term compressed gas energy storage engineering level to a new high peak.

Be at the forefront of the world and build a benchmark for compressed gas energy storage power stations

The Yingcheng project is located in Yingcheng City, Hubei Province. It uses the abandoned salt mine caves in Yunying area as a gas storage reservoir to create a super "charging treasure"-the single machine power reaches 300 megawatts, the energy storage capacity reaches 1500 megawatt hours, and the system conversion efficiency is about 70%. Energy is stored for 8 hours and energy is released for 5 hours every day. The average annual power generation is about 500 million kilowatt-hours, which is equivalent to using air as the medium. The converted electricity can meet the electricity needs of 750,000 residents for one year. It can effectively cope with the volatility, punctuality and randomness of new energy power generation, and play an important role in the safe and stable operation of the power grid in Hubei Province and the consumption of new energy in the province.

The principle of compressed air energy storage is to use the remaining electricity when the grid load is low to compress air, store it in a high-pressure sealed facility, and release it during peak power consumption to drive the expander to drive the generator to generate electricity. In recent years, China's industrialization process of compressed gas energy storage has accelerated significantly. Related technologies have experienced a development and transformation from scratch, from weak to strong, and from follow-up to leading the way. Domestic 1.5MW, 10MW, and 100MW compressed gas energy storage projects have been put into operation one after another and their scale continues to be "upgraded". The R & D and industrialization process have become in an international leading position.

What are the considerations for China Energy Construction Corporation to take the lead in developing a 300MW compressed gas energy storage? "This scale is similar to the current thermal power unit capacity of China's main installed structure of power supply. In the gradual replacement of existing coal-fired units, resources such as generators, factories, and transmission can continue to be utilized." Wan Mingzhong said that based on past experience, promoting the steady development of 300MW, 600MW, and 1000MW units at all levels is in line with the upgrading rules of power technology and will be an effective path for the rapid development of China's compressed gas storage industry.

"As the 'vanguard' of national energy, power and infrastructure construction, China Energy Construction is focusing on developing and promoting compressed gas energy storage system solutions as a major engineering practice to build a new power system." Wan Mingzhong pointed out that China Energy Construction has undertaken more than 90% of China's power survey, design, scientific research and industry standard setting tasks, and has "hard core" professional capabilities in all aspects. The power generation principle of compressed gas energy storage is similar to that of thermal power, except that the fuel is changed from "coal burning" to "high-pressure air", and technical resources can be quickly switched to the field of compressed gas energy storage.

"At present, most of the salt cave compressed gas energy storage power stations in the world that have been put into operation need to burn coal or natural gas to heat the air. This process is called 'afterburning', which will inevitably produce pollution emissions and loss of compression heat. The project uses 'non-afterburning' technology to recycle and reuse the heat generated during the air compression process. There is no combustion or emission. It integrates all-green, non-afterburning, high efficiency and low cost, and will become the world's compressed gas. A benchmark for energy storage power stations." Wan Mingzhong said.

Gather cutting-edge forces and bravely be the "chain leader" of the industrial chain

Behind the successful grid connection is Digital Science Group's unremitting exploration in independent innovation.

The above-ground engineering determines the quality of the project, the underground engineering determines the success or failure, and the deep-ground gas storage is the decisive factor in the compressed gas energy storage project. It is reported that the geological conditions of the salt cave gas storage of the Yingcheng project are complex, and it is difficult to drill and complete large-diameter injection and production wells. The deep earth technology scientific research team of Digital Science Group collaborated in depth with the team of Academician Yang Chunhe of Wuhan Institute of Geotechnical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and multiple units in the PetroChina system. After joint technical research and experimental demonstration, they continuously optimized salt cave utilization plans and drilling engineering system plans, and successfully conquered complex salt cave space efficient utilization complete sets of technologies, digitally intelligent site selection technology, mastered more than 20 internationally initiated technologies, formulated industry standards, and created a series of international cutting-edge technologies and supporting product packages. In particular, it has successfully applied salt cave sediment space gas storage for the first time in the world, and has pioneered the domestic largest-diameter injection and production well plan, which has greatly improved the utilization rate of salt cave cavities and the injection and gas production volume of injection and production wells, and also reduced project costs and Shortened the construction period.

Pressurized gas energy storage is a system engineering with multi-discipline and multi-process coupling, and there are high technical barriers in core equipment such as compression and expansion equipment, heat storage and generator. "We focus on the" sticking neck "problems of high-power, large-capacity, long-term energy storage air compression / expansion unit process design, material research and development, fast loading control strategy and so on. the key technology of axial flow compressor with large axial intake, lower exhaust and wide load is overcome, and the configuration scheme of axial flow + centrifuge of compressor unit is put forward. The first non-supplementary combustion compressed air expander equipment with the largest capacity and the best performance in the world has been developed, which fills the domestic gap. " Wan Mingzhong said that China Energy Construction has always adhered to the working policy of "strategy is the engine, scientific research is the forerunner, design is the leader, equipment is the key, construction is the foundation, and mathematical intelligence is the base." bravely when the industrial chain is long, joint industry leading enterprises, equipment leading enterprises, as well as universities and scientific research institutes work closely to create an industrial innovation ecology. Give full play to the advantage of the integration of "research, investment and construction", be determined to forge the best pressurized gas energy storage system in the world, and promote the vigorous development of the global pressurized gas energy storage industry.

Scientific and technological innovation capabilities are obvious to all. The Yingcheng project was selected into the third batch of national energy field as the first (set) of major technical equipment, new energy storage pilot demonstration project, and green and low-carbon advanced technology demonstration project. The energy storage system expander and compressor were rated as the energy industry in 2023. Top ten scientific and technological innovation achievements. Wan Mingzhong pointed out that China Energy Construction adheres to the cooperation concept of "full autonomy, full industrial chain, full manufacturing in China, and full openness" and has formed a set of large-scale "energy construction plan" with independent and controllable technology, efficient coordination across the entire industrial chain, and consideration of efficiency and investment.

Accelerate the scale process and share long-term energy storage development opportunities

As the penetration rate of renewable energy gradually increases, the "time + space" mismatch problem of renewable energy power generation such as photovoltaics and wind power has become increasingly prominent, further creating long-term energy storage scheduling needs for the power system.

Against the background of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, the proportion of new energy installed capacity and power generation will increase significantly. Long-term energy storage, as a "ballast stone" and "stabilizer" to support the construction of new power systems and achieve the "double carbon" goal, is an inevitable call in the era of carbon neutrality. Compression gas energy storage is a long-term physical energy storage technology that can benchmark pumped energy storage. Compared with the latter, compressed air energy storage is characterized by environmental friendliness, short construction period, and flexible site selection. Its construction period is about 2 years, which is much lower than 6-8 years for pumped storage. Natural salt caves, artificial chambers, and abandoned caves can be used for site selection and gas storage, which is convenient for layout near load centers and large wind and scenery bases. Closely integrated with distributed new energy, especially in the Shago wasteland, can form a useful supplement or partial replacement for pumped storage energy.

Wan Mingzhong pointed out that China Energy Construction took the lead in carrying out 300MW compressed gas energy storage technology research and engineering layout, achieving an engineering breakthrough from "0 to 1" in the industry, and is accelerating the leap towards "1 to 100" industrialization.

"We have extensively deployed a large number of compressed gas energy storage projects around large-scale new energy bases such as Shago Desert, offshore wind power, and wind and solar storage, and more than 50 projects are under development and construction." Wan Mingzhong introduced that in the next step, Driven by the demonstration project, Digital Science Group will focus on application scenarios such as grid-side energy storage, load-side energy storage, green power transmission from new energy bases, low-carbon thermal power transformation, and comprehensive utilization of deep space., continue to promote the technological innovation and engineering implementation of compressed gas energy storage in the direction of greater capacity, higher efficiency, and longer duration, further promote the accelerated integration of "science and technology innovation + industry" and drive a trillion-scale incremental market.