Author(s)

YanPeng Li^1,2, HaoRan Zhou^1*, RiPeng Cong¹, TianChen Rao¹

Affiliation(s)

¹School of Urban Geology and Engineering, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, China.

²Hebei GEO University, Hebei Province Underground Artificial Environment Smart Development and Management Technology Innovation Center, Shijiazhuang 050031, China.

Corresponding Author

HaoRan Zhou

ABSTRACT

Under the "dual carbon" target, the intermittency and fluctuation of renewable energy generation pose challenges to grid stability, making energy storage technologies crucial for enhancing energy utilization efficiency and ensuring power system security. Among these, compressed air energy storage (CAES) has emerged as a key large-scale storage solution due to its advantages in scalability, longevity, and cost-effectiveness. This paper analyzes the fundamental principles, technological classifications, and application status of CAES in China. Studies indicate that China has successfully developed multiple hundred-megawatt-scale non-combustion CAES demonstration projects, with system efficiency reaching 65%–70%, and has achieved breakthroughs in salt cavern storage, supercritical compression, and phase-change thermal storage technologies. However, CAES in China still faces challenges such as geographical limitations, high investment costs, and an underdeveloped market mechanism. Future advancements can be driven by technological optimization, large-scale deployment, and policy incentives, ultimately establishing CAES as a core technology for renewable energy integration and grid peak shaving, thus contributing significantly to the realization of the "dual carbon" target.

KEYWORDS

Compressed air energy storage; Energy storage technology; Current status and prospects

CITE THIS PAPER

YanPeng Li, HaoRan Zhou, RiPeng Cong, TianChen Rao. Current status and prospects of advanced compressed air energy storage in China. Frontiers in Environmental Research. 2025, 3(1): 48-55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/fer3019.

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