The 10-MW-hour electric (MWhe) energy storage solution, developed by Storworks, is charged using heat from supercritical steam generated by Gaston’s Unit 5. As designed, high-pressure steam from the power plant flows through tubes, heating the concrete, which stores the thermal energy until it is returned to the power plant by converting feedwater into steam to generate electricity in response to grid demand. The project received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy under award DE-FE0031761.

The technology can be applied to existing or new thermal power plants, including coal, natural gas, nuclear, or concentrating solar power, the companies said, and the core technology can go beyond electric power to applications including decarbonizing industrial heat.

“Advancements in long-duration energy storage are key to unlocking the full potential of variable renewable energy resources on the path to net-zero,” said Neva Espinoza, EPRI vice president of Energy Supply and Low-Carbon Resources. “As the power sector navigates a highly complex transition, CTES could play an important role in efficiently delivering the reliable and affordable electricity society depends on.”

The companies said the original goals of the project were exceeded, as steam production at several pressure levels was demonstrated. More than 80 energy charge and discharge cycles were also successfully performed over 700 hours of total operation.

“We appreciate the vision and support from our partners that made this pilot demonstration possible,” said Scott Frazer, co-founder of Storworks. “Low-cost long-duration energy storage is increasingly critical in the shift to low-cost intermittent renewable energy, and the Gaston project represents an important milestone in advancing the commercialization of our technology. With industry-leading low cost, Storworks’ modular system can be tailored to a range of applications for both power plants and industrial decarbonization solutions.”

Originally published in Renewable Energy World.

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $2.8 million to a coalition of partners who will research fuel management options for next-gen nuclear reactors.

EPRI will lead the team, which also includes Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Southern Company and Deep Isolation. The funding comes from DOE’s Advanced Reactor Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E).

Specifically, the two-year project aims to expand the available options of nuclear fuel management by creating a tool to optimize processes for the recovery of uranium from used nuclear fuel. The scope of the project would include an at-scale study for market readiness of some of these techniques.

EPRI will provide project management and expertise in advanced reactor development, ORNL will provide technical expertise in nuclear fuel cycles and system modeling for developing the tool, Southern Company will provide real-world data and their experience in shepherding new technology from the laboratory to full-scale commercial deployment and Deep Isolation will assist with technical expertise in the disposal of used fuel in deep borehole repositories approximately a mile underground.

“This project is at the heart of two of our focus areas at ORNL — advancing the next generation of nuclear technology to meet the nation’s energy needs and climate goals while reducing the demand on waste generation storage and ultimate disposal,” said Andy Worrall, section head of Integrated Fuel Cycle research at ORNL.