Principles of geological energy storage

What is geologic energy storage?

Geologic energy storage is a practical solution that can store 100 or more hours of energy. Batteries are primarily designed for storing electrical energy, but geologic storage methods have an advantage of being able to store chemical and thermal energy (for space heating, for example) directly without conversion to electricity.

What is geological carbon storage (GCS)?

Geological Carbon Storage (GCS) is a technology that captures CO 2 released by human activities and injects it into a specific formation for long-term storage. Globally, GCS is being explored as a feasible option for combating climate change. The formation pressure increases when large amounts of CO 2 are injected into the subsurface.

Can geologic energy storage reduce electricity costs?

An electrical grid that uses long duration energy storage projects with over 100 hours of stored power could result in the greatest reduction in electricity costs (Sepulveda and others, 2021). Geologic energy storage is a practical solution that can store 100 or more hours of energy.

How do we assess geologic energy Stor Age?

Initial work on a USGS assessment of geologic energy stor age could focus on natural gas and hydrogen (chemical), compressed air and solid-mass gravity (mechanical), and geo-thermal (thermal) storage methods (table 1). Table 1 shows likely combinations of geologic energy storage methods and geologic settings for these initial assessments.

Does geologic energy storage still exist?

Much of the technol-ogy for geologic energy storage is still undergoing research and development (Crotogino and others, 2017; Matos and others, 2019), although several industrial-sized underground storage projects are already operating in the United States and world-wide (fig. 1).

Are depleted oil and gas reservoirs a promising geological storage option?

Depleted oil and gas reservoirs are particularly promising geological storage options due to their known geology and proven containment properties (Agartan et al., 2018; Le Gallo et al., 2002).