ADELE


With the massive development of renewable energies, the fluctuations in the power supply network are increasing significantly. This challenge should be met with efficient and effective batteries. RWE Power, together with the partners General Electric, Züblin and the German Aerospace Centre, is promoting the project Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage for Electricity Supply, in short: ADELE. An important milestone is now being reached parallel to the development program: a salt dome in Staßfurt is the paramount location option for the first demonstration plant. Minister of Economic Affairs Haseloff is explicitly supporting the plan: "I expect an important advance in technology on an international scale from this pioneering project for better use of renewable energies. If, during the course of this pilot project, we manage to efficiently store the fluctuating wind energy and use it when required, an important breakthrough would be achieved. I also believe it is highly likely that our national research institutes which deal with energy-related issues will be integrated".

Minister for the environment Aeikens also emphasises: "The future of our energy supply lies in the area of renewable energies. However, this transition cannot happen automatically. It is driven by innovation, research and financing. And there is one recurring matter: the issue of storage is one of the key questions as regards the use of renewable energies. Here we need research in order to pave the way for renewable energies in terms of environmental and climate protection."
 
RWE has carried out extensive location analyses. The result: Staßfurt is particularly well suited for the planned compressed air storage plant. "Here in Staßfurt we are happy that our location was chosen. For years there have only been positive experiences in the secondary use of underground power stations. The cooperation with RWE is very important to us and will be developed even further in this way. The fact that our soda plant is also benefiting from this makes the project all the more important", states mayor René Zok convincingly. The structure of the salt dome is very well known through its use as a gas storage facility and for brine production. An existing underground power plant could be used to accommodate compressed air after appropriate adaptation. Moreover, Staßfurt is located in a region with a multitude of wind farms; in times of low electricity demand excess energy can be used to fill the storage facility. This works by firstly compressing air. The heat resulting from this is temporarily stored and the air is then compressed in underground power plants. When the electricity demand increases again, the compressed air can be used in a turbine, while at the same time retrieving the heat energy to produce electricity. "We need intelligent solutions to store electricity safety, efficiently and in large quantities.

ADELE should be an innovative element for electricity supply which is reliable in the future too, " states Jäger who is responsible for the area of research and development in the board of RWE. "The underground power plants in the Staßfurt salt dome offer the best conditions for this highly interesting research project. The storage facility can be an important partner for wind energy in the region and will lead to a growth in employment in our region both in the construction period as well as in subsequent operation", adds Ulrich Eichhorn, business manager of the Staßfurt soda plant. Today the salt dome from the Staßfurt soda plant is used for brine production and by RWE Gasspeicher GmbH for gas storage; these uses are not affected by ADELE.

The first demonstration plant should be constructed from 2013 - with a storage capacity of up to 360 megawatt hours and an electrical output of up to 90 megawatts. In this respect, ADELE can provide a replacement capacity in the shortest period with no other fossil auxiliary energies and thus emission-free and replace around 50 windmills over approx. 4 hours as they are used in the region. The research and development project funded by the Ministry of Economics and which has a total of ten million Euros available should have developed the technology by the end of 2012. Expanding the demonstration plant after successful operation is possible.