Imagine a giant battery that doesn't use chemicals or rare metals, but just air. It works like a bicycle pump that stores energy by squeezing air into a tank and lets it out when power is needed. This system keeps the air at a steady temperature to avoid wasting energy as heat, making it much more efficient than older versions.
Renewable energy is intermittent, and current long-term storage like pumped-hydro is limited by geography. Existing compressed air systems are too inefficient and often rely on fossil fuels or specific underground caves.
Two prototypes: a 40ft containerized plug-and-play system and a 200 kW unit, both featuring isothermal compression and an intelligent energy management system.
If you are a farm operator dealing with intermittent power production — this project developed an I-CAES system that provides over ten hours of storage. This allows you to store excess energy and release it steadily, targeting a round-trip efficiency above 70%.
If you are a plant manager dealing with high peak-energy costs — this project developed a plug-and-play system in a 40ft container. It provides a rare material-free way to stabilize your local grid and reduce reliance on expensive peak power.
If you are a DSO dealing with grid instability from renewables — this project developed a 200 kW unit with an intelligent energy management system. This helps balance the grid without needing underground cavities or fossil fuels.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, but the system is designed to be cost-efficient and uses rare material-free components to lower expenses.
The project is delivering two scales: a plug-and-play system in a 40ft container and a larger 200 kW unit, both offering over ten hours of storage.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on EU-based manufacturing and competitiveness, but specific licensing terms are not detailed.
The system is designed for easy integration through advanced energy management systems (EMS) and will be proven through end-user integration activities.
The project runs from 2024-01-01 to 2026-12-31, aiming to reach TRL5 by the end of the period.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven with a 78% industry ratio, consisting of 7 industrial partners and 3 SMEs across 5 European countries. This strong commercial lean, led by an SME (Zabala Brussels), suggests a high focus on manufacturability and market entry rather than purely academic research.
Contact ZABALA BRUSSELS regarding the I-CAES prototype integration
Contact us to connect with the Air4NRG consortium for pilot opportunities.
