Sustainability Language

Energy & Transition

Compressed air energy storage (CAES)

A grid-scale storage technology that compresses air into caverns or vessels when power is surplus and releases it through turbines when needed.

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Definition

Compressed air energy storage converts electricity to high-pressure air stored in underground salt caverns, rock formations or purpose-built vessels, later expanding the air through turbines to regenerate power. Commercial since the late 1970s, conventional (diabatic) plants vent compression heat and burn gas during discharge, while adiabatic designs store the heat for reuse, improving round-trip efficiency; isothermal variants are under development.

References

PNNL

technology description; cavern storage; isothermal developments

AZoM

charge/store/discharge cycle; commercial history since late 1970s

Overview

What it means

It is one of the few technologies suited to large-scale, long-duration storage, complementing batteries and pumped hydro.

How it is used

CAES shifts surplus renewable output across many hours to days, reducing curtailment and supporting grid stability.

Why it matters

High shares of wind and solar require storage at durations and scales that CAES can provide where geology allows.

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