China Huadian has integrated a 100 MW, 1000 MWh compressed carbon dioxide energy storage system into its grid. The facility provides 10 hours of autonomy and covers an area of approximately 565,000 square meters. It operates alongside a 600 MW wind farm and a 400 MW solar power plant.
The system utilizes a closed-loop thermodynamic cycle. During charging, compressors liquefy CO2, while thermal energy is captured and stored. To generate electricity, the liquid CO2 is vaporized and heated using the stored thermal energy to drive a turbine. The infrastructure includes five gas storage units, 141 liquid CO2 tanks, and 97 thermal storage units.
Developed by a team from Xi'an Jiaotong University led by Professor Xie Yonghui and commercialized by Exax Energy, the system is designed for a 30-year service life. The turbine efficiency is reported to exceed 92%. At full capacity, the facility is expected to generate 200 GWh annually.
The project aims to reduce coal consumption by 50,000 tons per year. Additionally, it is projected to lower annual carbon dioxide emissions by 170,000 tons. Unlike traditional compressed air storage, this technology does not require underground salt caverns, relying instead on extensive surface infrastructure.
