Imagine a giant battery that stores heat instead of electricity, using special materials that melt and freeze to hold energy. This system uses recycled metal wool to move heat faster and can be charged by both the sun and extra electricity from the grid. It then turns that heat into power using a high-pressure gas system that is much more efficient than traditional steam.
Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) often suffers from high costs, high water usage, and a lack of flexibility to integrate with other volatile renewables like PV.
A detailed engineering design for a pilot plant featuring a cascade PCM thermal storage system and an sCO2 power cycle.
If you are an IPP dealing with the instability of solar power — this project developed a hybrid storage system that reduces the LCoE by up to 10%. It allows you to store excess PV electricity as heat and dispatch it when prices are higher.
If you are a factory owner dealing with high energy costs for heat — this project developed a thermal storage system reaching 610 °C. This allows for a steady supply of high-grade heat with a carbon footprint below 9.8 gCO2 eq/kWh.
If you are a developer dealing with water scarcity in arid regions — this project developed an sCO2 power cycle that minimizes water consumption. It reduces the overall life cycle environmental impact by 10% compared to current technology.
The HYBRIDplus concept can reduce the storage specific CAPEX down to 12 €/kWht.
The integration of a high-efficient sCO2 power cycle allows for reductions of the LCoE by up to 10%.
The project is currently in the engineering and characterization phase, including the detailed engineering of a pilot plant.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on a new plant concept using recycled metal wool and PCM cascade configurations, though specific licensing terms are not listed.
The internally electrified storage allows hybridization with other renewable sources, providing flexibility services and allowing higher penetration of variable renewables in the grid.
The consortium is well-balanced for commercialization, featuring a 56% industry ratio with 5 industrial partners, 5 of which are SMEs. This mix of 3 universities and 5 companies across 6 countries (DE, ES, FR, NO, SE, TR) suggests a strong pipeline from academic research to industrial application.
Contact Universidad de Sevilla regarding the pilot plant engineering results.
Contact us to connect with the HYBRIDplus consortium for pilot site opportunities.
