Diseño y estudio de viabilidad de una instalación híbrida CAES-Eólica en Pinós, Solsonès

Abstract

The energy needs of the humankind have grown with time, causing a negative impact on the environment. The human socioeconomic development achieved in the last years was achieved in an unsustainable way, triggering the present climate change, one of the biggest challenges that affects all the World. To reduce that negative impact one of the necessary actions is the large-scale use of renewable energy. The variability of some of those energy sources show the need of energy storage to achieve a totally decarbonized energy mix. This research work analyses the different designs of the compressed air energy storage plants (CAES) and proposes a design of an adiabatic CAES plant with underground storage with a salt cavern as the storage vessel in Pinós, Solonès. The underground geology in suitable lithologies is analyzed and the most suitable places for this project are chosen. The CAES plant is proposed along a wind farm in Pinós’s mountain range. The wind conditions are calm and a IEC class III wind turbine is selected as the most profitable device. The most important source of revenue is the sale of the electricity produced by the wind farm. To obtain a higher revenue for the sale of electricity is proposed to participate in the ancillary services of the electricity system as the mean price per MWh is higher. The economic results show that the wind farm alone is profitable with an IIR of 8,5%. The hybrid wind farm-CAES plant is not economically viable as the revenue granted by the CAES plant is not enough to make it profitable.