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Concrete Energy Storage · Grid Modernization · Renewable Integration · Thermal Storage
EPRI and Storworks Power, supported by a $4 million U.S. Department of Energy award, are demonstrating a concrete thermal energy storage system at Alabama Power’s Plant Gaston, aiming for 10 megawatt-hours of storage by late 2022.
This technology utilizes readily available concrete blocks to store heat from thermal power plants, offering a cost-effective solution at less than $100 per kilowatt-hour and providing several days of storage, significantly longer than the four hours typical for grid-scale lithium-ion batteries. Laboratory tests validated a Storworks Power design, enduring 1,500 thermal cycles and 5,000 hours of continuous exposure at 600°C.
The pilot project, involving Southern Company and United E&C, will cycle the 60-block system over a thousand times during 11 months of testing to verify performance and durability. This development addresses the growing need for sustained energy storage as variable renewable energy sources increase, with BloombergNEF forecasting a 122-fold increase in global energy storage deployment to 1,095 gigawatts by 2040.
The system also offers a pathway to retrofit retired thermal plants for emissions-free renewable energy storage.
