Atlas Copco Rental contributes to hot compressed air battery research project near Gotthard tunnel
Antwerp, Belgium, 22 August, 2016: In Biasca, Switzerland, an innovative way of storing renewable energy is being developed. In an old transportation tunnel of the Gotthard tunnel tests are done to store hot compressed air and release it to the power grid when necessary. Two Atlas Copco Rental compressors provide the oil-free air needed for these tests. If the test succeeds, the first steps towards efficiently storing excess energy will be taken.
The idea to store compressed air underground is not new. Already in the late seventies researchers tried to store compressed air and use it as a power source. However, these ways of storing were not efficient since a lot of air and heat was lost during the process.
Hi-tech test cell near Gotthard tunnel
“We at ALACAES, supported by the Swiss government, are researching if we can increase the efficiency by storing not only the compressed air itself but also the heat generated in the process. Therefore we have created a hi-tech test cell inside this former transport tunnel of the Gotthard tunnel,” says Zanganeh.
Not only the set-up is quite extraordinary, so is the location. The test cell is set up in Biasca, Switzerland, in a 20 year old transportation passway of the Gotthard tunnel. This small tunnel is only around 5 m diameter at its widest point and was originally dug out to transport rocks and other debris from the construction of the Gotthard tunnel. You can still see this debris just opposite of the tunnel, where a green plateau was crafted with it.
The actual battery: a concrete tank full of rocks
Pressure and temperature build up to 100 bar, 550°C
Energy storage, next step in sustainable energy
If the test is successful, Giw Zanganeh and his team will have found an efficient way to store energy. Storing energy efficiently is one of the largest challenges in the ‘Energiewende’ since a lot of sustainable energy sources such as solar or wind power have high peaks with a lot of excess power.
Pentru mai multe informaţii vă rugăm contactaţi:
- Inge Craninckx, Marketing Manager inge.craninckx@be.atlascopco.com
Atlas Copco Atlas Copco este un furnizor mondial de soluţii de productivitate sustenabilă. Grupul oferă clienţilor compresoare inovatoare, soluţii de vidare, precum şi sisteme de tratare a aerului, echipamente de construcţii şi minerit, scule electrice şi sisteme de asamblare. Atlas Copco dezvoltă produse şi servicii concentrate pe productivitate, eficienţă energetică, siguranţă şi ergonomie. Compania a fost fondată în anul 1873, are sediul central la Stockholm, Suedia, şi îşi desfăşoară activitatea în peste 180 de ţări. În anul 2016, Atlas Copco a avut venituri de 101 de miliarde de coroane suedeze (11 miliarde de euro) şi a depăşit numărul de 45.000 de angajaţi. Aflaţi mai multe la adresa www.atlascopcogroup.com. Specialty Rental este o divizie în cadrul departamentului Construction Technique al companiei Atlas Copco. Aceasta oferă clienţilor din domenii industriale din întreaga lume soluţii temporare de închiriere a unor echipamente pneumatice şi electrice. Serviciile de închiriere de specialitate sunt oferite sub numeroase mărci. Sediul diviziei se află la Houston, S.U.A. Aflaţi mai multe la adresa www.atlascopcorental.com