SNG based energy storage systems with subsurface CO₂ storage

Large-scale energy storage plants based on power-to-gas-to-power technologies incorporating high temperature electrolysis, catalytic methanation of H₂ and CO₂ and novel, highly efficient methane-fired Allam reconversion cycles allow for a confined and circular use of CO₂ and thus an emission-free storage of intermittent renewable energy. The Allam power cycle is considered as a beneficial power plant concept, which employs supercritical CO₂ as working fluid as well as an oxy-combustion process to reach high efficiencies of up to 66%. The combination of said process chain could reach a maximum roundtrip efficiency of 54.2 % assuming the presence of sufficient storage capacities for all relevant technical gases. In a technically feasible scenario, paired with a separate air separation unit instead of stationary O₂ storages, roundtrip efficiencies of 49.0 % were determined..
The implementation of said energy storage systems into existing national energy systems will pose a major challenge, since they will require far-reaching infrastructural changes to the respective systems itself, such as extensive installations of renewable generation and electrolysis capacities as well as sufficient subsurface storage capacities for both CO₂ and CH₂. Furthermore, an exemplary energy system forecast for Germany for the year of 2050 is presented to show the viability of the energy storage concept. In case of a fully circular use of CO₂, when electricity is solely generated by renewable energy sources (RES), 736 GW of RES, 234 GW of electrolysis and 62 GW of gas-to-power capacities are required. The total storage volume on the national scale of Germany for both CO₂ and CH₄ was determined to be 7.8 billion Nm³, respectively, leading to a CH₄ storage capacity of 54.5 TWh. The present investigation illustrates the feasibility of large-scale energy storage systems for renewable electricity based on high temperature electrolysis, catalytic methanation and Allam power cycles paired with large subsurface storages for CO₂ and CH₄.