Augwind states that its airbattery demonstration installation has reached a round trip efficiency of 47% – a commercial installation will see this value rise above 60%
Underground salt caves can become huge batteries that store weeks and weeks of clean energy. Germany is excited.
We are currently better to produce clean energy than to store it. This represents a challenge in regions with little wind and sunlight – putting under pressure the electrical nets fueled by renewable sources.
It believes it may have found a solution to thousands of meters below ground.
The company has developed a long -term energy storage system (LDES) AirBatterywhich is based on the compressed air kept in underground salt caves.
The great hope is the southern Germany. Augwind estimates that only in Germany there are over 400 proper saline caves, each with a capacity to store compressed air that can generate between 3-8 GWh of electricity.
Airbattery stores energy relibly for weeks, requiring a lot less land, water and capital than the most common hydroelectric storage systems by pumping.
Augwind states that its demonstration installation achieves an efficiency of 47%. For its turn, its commercial installation should register an efficiency of more than 60%.
The Airbattery System is considered capable of functioning for decades without degradation and with minimum operation costs.
According to, the company plans to build its first airbattery commercial installation precisely in Germany, with the aim of having it in OPERATION UNTIL 2028.
All these giant caves that exist in Germany could, together, store the equivalent of 65% of the country’s annual electricity consumption.
For now, it remembers New Atlas, Augwind has to complete the agreements with the power traders and the owners of the saline caves, get licenses for their commercial facilities and finish the airbattery system project.
