RWE, General Electric (GE), Züblin, and DLR agree on Cooperation in the Development of Compressed Air Energy Storage
"The massive and deliberate expansion of wind power requires smart solutions to ensure a non-stop continuous electricity supply. By means of the ADELE project, we take the lead to rapidly develop an efficient storage option", said Dr. Juergen Großmann, Chief Executive Officer of RWE AG. A well-balanced energy mix where all energy sources contribute their unique strengths will be a guarantor -- also in the future -- of environmentally friendly, safe and efficient electricity supply. In this context, innovations such as ADELE will help to optimize the coexistence and smooth interaction of the individual energy sources.
By means of a feasibility study, the project partners laid the foundations for this development program that starts now. The aim is to install an initial demonstration plant, which shall start its operation in 2013; it will have a storage capacity of one billion watt-hours (GWh) and generate electrical power of up to 200 megawatt. That way ADELE will be able to provide backup capacity within a very short time and replace forty state-of-the-art wind turbines for a period of five hours. The German Federal Ministry of Economics is willing to offer state funding, which underlines the special importance of this project. Altogether, the project members will contribute an amount of EUR 10 million.
"We will support this project through innovative compressors and air turbines. This equipment ensures that compressed air energy storage power stations are extremely reliable and can be operated with outstanding performance. Last but not least, the leading edge technology of these key components is the result of our continuous investments in research & development activities both at our technology locations in Germany and worldwide. In this connection, our European research center based in Garching nearby Munich holds a key position", stated Georg Knoth, GE''s CEO & Regional Executive for the German-speaking region.
To implement this project, not only advanced turbo machines but also an innovative high-temperature thermal energy storage concept has been required. The realization of this key component is supported by Zueblin as well as by DLR by dividing the corresponding workload.
"The development of a powerful heat accumulator featuring a very high internal pressure and an operating temperature of more than 600 degree Celsius confronts us with completely new challenges with respect to the design of the pressure chamber and the development of suitable storage materials. Such a task can only be solved by a break-through innovation because the thermal energy storage will be subject to stresses resulting from the cyclic temperature and pressure loads, which are much higher than usual", explained Joern Beckmann, Chief Executive Officer of Zueblin.
Prof. Dr. Johann-Dietrich Woerner, Chairman of the Board of DLR, added: "Within the framework of the ADELE project, we will develop solutions for the conception, design, layout, and dimensioning of storage equipment and high-temperature insulation, which are core components and of decisive importance for the performance and cost efficiency of the overall structure."
Suitable locations for compressed-air storage power plants are, in particular, regions with adequate geological salt structures, which can then be used to build underground caverns for the absorption of large quantities of compressed air. In addition, such salt structures should be close to wind turbines.
Concerning the selection of the location, Erdgasspeicher Kalle GmbH, a subsidiary of the RWE group, will contribute its know-how for the planning, installation, and operation of underground storage facilities.
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Lothar LambertzRWE PowerT: +49 201 12-23984
Dr. Jürgen FrechRWE AGT: +49 201 12-15095
Hans SchregelmannGeneral ElectricT: +49 89 309072-123
Birgit KümmelZüblinT: +49 221 824-2480
Julia Duwe Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)T: +49 711 6862-480
RWE is among Europe''s five largest power utilities and gas suppliers. The business activities of RWE comprise the generation, trading, transmission, and sale of electricity and gas.
The 71,000 employees of RWE supply 20 million customers with electricity and gas. In the first six month of its 2009 fiscal year, RWE generated revenues of EUR 24 billion. Essent, a Dutch company, which was recently acquired by RWE, recorded revenues of EUR 9 billion in its 2008 business year. With the largest investment program of its corporate history -- covering total investments of more than EUR 32 billion until 2012 -- RWE is one of the largest investors in Europe. In this context, energy from renewables plays a key role in this program with investments of EUR 1 billion p.a.
Additional information on the ADELE project and corresponding photos are available on RWE''s website
GE (NYSE: GE) is an innovative and diversified technology company taking on the world''s toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, healthcare, and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide.
In Germany, GE operates more than 40 locations and has a staff of about 7,000 employees. Key areas of its activities are green technologies, medical technology, research, and financial services. In 2004, GE established its European research center GE Global Research Europe close to Munich. Moreover, GE is among Germany''s most attractive employers. The company has been given the "2009 Award as Top Employer for Engineers" and has -- according to the Jury of the German Sustainability Award 2009 -- with its ecomagination initiative one of the three most sustainable future strategies in Germany.
Additional information on GE is available on the company''s websites and
Ed. Zueblin AG, Stuttgart, is one of the leading German building contractors with a staff of about 14,000 employees and annual construction work amounting to EUR 3 billion. Since the formation of the company in 1898, Zueblin continuously grew and now is the no. 1 company for building and engineering services in Germany. Its portfolio of services comprises all relevant construction tasks.
Since 2005, the majority of Zueblin is held by the Austrian STRABAG SE, one of the largest European building and construction groups. The most important current Zueblin projects in Germany include the Opera Tower and the Air Rail Center in Frankfurt, the ADAC headquarters in Munich, the Rhine Gallery in Ludwigshafen as well as the West German Proton Therapy Center in Essen and the Virus Research Facility of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute on the Riems island. Following the development of a heat accumulator for solar power plants, ADELE is already the second project in the area of energy storage, which will be jointly supported by Zueblin and DLR. The Zueblin business divisions Central Technology and Ooms-Ittner-Hof are significantly involved in the ADELE project.
Additional information on Zueblin is available on the company''s websites and
About the German Aerospace Center ("DLR")
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