Rocks in the seabed off the UK coast could provide long-term storage locations for renewable energy production, new research suggests. An advanced technique could be used to trap compressed air in porous rock formations found in the North Sea using electricity from renewable technologies. The pressurised air could later be released to drive a turbine to generate large amounts of electricity. The study found that using the technique on a large scale could store enough compressed air to meet the UK’s electricity needs during winter, when demand is highest. This process might help provide steady and reliable supplies of energy from renewable sources – such as wind and tidal turbines – all of which is believed will help limit global temperature rise as a result of climate change.
Edinburgh Reporter 21st Jan 2019 read more »
Britain could store enough renewable electricity to last through winter by creating vast reservoirs of compressed air under the North Sea, a study has suggested. Researchers from the universities of Edinburgh and Strathclyde propose using electricity generated from wind and tidal power to force hundreds of millions of cubic metres of air into porous sandstone formations. These undersea reservoirs of compressed air could be charged during the summer, with the air released during the depths of winter to drive turbines that would produce electricity when demand rose. Supporters of the technology say that it would address one of the biggest challenges facing renewable energy sources: our inability to turn them on and off to meet our needs.
Times 22nd Jan 2019 read more »
Herald 22nd Jan 2019 read more »
Independent 21st Jan 2019 read more »
